


Earthlings

by RensKnight18



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben loves Rey, Ben seeks answers, Coney Island, Dogs, Earth won't know what hit them, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, First Date, First Kiss, Happy Meals, Loss of Virginity, McDonald's, Millennium Falcon flying, Rey likes Ben, Reylo - Freeform, Virgin Ben Solo, Virgin Rey (Star Wars), Zoo, beach, bowling, lingerie shopping, skill-testers, train
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-07-17 10:50:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16094150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RensKnight18/pseuds/RensKnight18
Summary: Set one year after events of The Last Jedi, newly redeemed Ben Solo accompanies Rey to Earth from a galaxy far, far away.





	1. Coming back to life

‘BEN!’

_Here we go again._

‘Where’s the compressor? Seriously, will you stop removing things?'

I’m trying to get this old heap working again so I can take it for a test run’

It’s late and Rey's frustrated.

Ben throws his hands in the air, now frustrated himself.

He thought he was helping.

_Apparently not._

Except he is, in his own Solo way. And he hasn’t come to help exactly, he’s come to spend time with Rey.

Ben is still struggling to deal with people, all kinds of people, but he's trying.

Sometimes he wonders why he even bothers, but a part of him enjoys having her tell him what to do…although he’d never tell _her_ that.

After fleeing the First Order a year ago, he’d made the decision to turn back to the light.

Not specifically the light. A balance in between the two – the light and the dark - he and Rey now working together in an attempt to keep peace in the galaxy.

_If only they could keep the peace when they were together, that would be a start_.

‘You know, I do have some experience with flight controls, Rey’ he responds, rolling his eyes.

Ben likes Rey. He _really_ likes her.

Truthfully, he feels like he’s in love with her. He doesn’t really know what love is, but he's certainly never felt _this_ way before.

It's the kind of love where you can’t think of anything _else,_ kind of love.

The kind where your heart skips a beat when the other person is _close_ to you, kind of love.

The kind where you just want to take them into your arms and _kiss them stupid,_ kind of love--

And it’s been that for a while now.

He’d been ‘Kylo Ren’ back when those feelings first surfaced, and she was just a ‘scavenger’ girl - he couldn’t have gone there.

Although it turns out Rey is much more than _just_ a scavenger. It turns out they have a deeper connection, one beyond their control.

She’s his equal – like it or not. And he likes it more often than not - when they aren’t at each other’s throats.

Unfortunately, most days they’re more likely to kill each other than fall head over heels in love.

Rey is totally gorgeous in Ben’s opinion. Pretty perfect in fact.

Petite but strong. Smart, gentle and sweet – well mostly, when she isn’t yelling at him.

To him the fighting is half the fun.

He loves how her nostrils flare when she starts losing her temper, her cheeks flushing a rosy pink…

_His somewhat romantic thoughts are rudely interrupted._

‘As soon as I get this thing working again, we'll have that race and find out who really _is_ the best pilot’ she quips, still busily working away on the console.

‘But for now please just do what I say, Ben.’

He can’t quite explain the feeling he gets when he hears her call him by his real name...

So he gives in to her, _again._

‘Fine then. Tell me what you want me to do’

Rey motions with her finger, beckoning him closer. He strides toward her, heavy footsteps echoing loudly in the small space, and leans over the console next to her.

She‘s even more gorgeous up close, her long hair let down--

Her sparkling eyes, long lashes, perfect teeth...

 

~~~~x~~~~

 

_Ben. Solo._

Those short, dark, wavy locks falling across his eyes as he bends down over the console _right_ next to her.

He smells amazing.

That’s the first thing Rey notices.

She’d only asked him to help because she wanted to spend time with him.

That, and he’s the best pilot in the galaxy. Ok, second best - and he’s also a whiz at fixing things.

Ben's a sweet guy, but he still has some issues - although she guesses everyone does below the surface.

At least he’s made an effort to fix his.

He is also extremely handsome, and Rey isn’t ashamed to admit it.

Tall, well built, long legs, broad shoulders - cute little moles and freckles dotting his perfect, pale features.

Not to mention his beautiful big ears, perfect hair...

...and those intense eyes.

Minus the mask, it meant she got to look at that face all the time now.

His scar has almost faded from view, but you can still see it if you look closely enough. And with him currently standing right next to her, she can’t help but stare.

Rey is tiny in comparison, because Ben is massive. But he’s endearing, like a safe place she’s desired for so long.

Like home.

She doesn’t mean to get angry with him all the time but he knows how to push her buttons, and if she’s honest with herself, she enjoys pushing his too.

They’re like fireworks, the pair of them, alight and ready to explode at any moment.

 

~~~~x~~~~

 

Ben _loves_ flying.

He’s loved it from the moment he first flew alongside his father, back when he was just a small boy.

He looked up to his father back then and he’d wanted to be a pilot just like him one day - _the best pilot in the galaxy_.

Mission accomplished, in his opinion.

He’d done many things he wasn’t proud of in his former life as 'Kylo Ren', but taking the life of his own father was the one he struggled with the most.

Deep down he knew he would never actually _get over it_ , but he’d done his best since to atone for his sins - and he’d vowed to continue trying.

‘Han taught me a few things about flying when I was younger. If you let me help, we can get this done a lot sooner’ he offers.

‘Fine’ Rey huffs, somewhat begrudgingly. She hands him the tools and stands back, hands on hips.

‘Ok, go ahead’ she gestures to the console. ‘Show me what you’re made of, _pilot boy’_

**_I’m sure that wasn’t meant to sound a hot as it did, Ben._ **

**_Now’s your chance - impress her._ **

He grabs the tools, bending down to look at the console. It takes him all of 2 minutes to work out what the problem is, and to fix it.

‘There’ he says smugly, dropping the tools onto the seat behind him. ‘Too easy’.

He slaps his hands together as though he’s just done a hard day’s work on the sands of Jakku, just to rub it in a bit more.

Rey lifts her head to look at him.

‘Huh?’

She’d been staring at his face as he worked, hadn’t even been watching what he was actually doing.

Stepping closer to assess his work, she's baffled that she hadn’t picked up the problem herself. Rey’s impressed, but decides not to give Ben any satisfaction.

‘Huh’.

_That’s it? That’s all he got?_

He thought she’d be at least a little more grateful.

‘Impressed?’ he teases her, elbowing her playfully in the side. He points to the console. ‘You missed the…’

‘I didn’t miss anything, _Solo_ ’ she responds, quickly cutting him off.

‘I would’ve found that eventually’ she bites out, cheeks flushed.

Ben knew full well she would’ve found it eventually, but he can’t resist getting one up on her anyway. She’d have to be impressed on some level, surely - even if she didn’t show it.

‘Alright, now we should fly this thing.’

Ben had commandeered his personal tie fighter when he fled the First Order and he’d been looking for a chance to fly it again - this seeming like the perfect opportunity.

He was keen to show her just how good he was…

However, his fantasy was quickly squashed.

‘Maybe we could fly the Falcon together?’ Rey suggests.

Ben’s quiet for a moment, weighing up his options.

As much as he hated this heap, he did like the sound of that idea.

‘Sure, where do you want to go?’ He asks, leaning casually with his back to the console.

Rey takes a moment to drink him in.

_Again._

He’s definitely his father’s son, with the leaning and the flying and the smouldering looks - he and Han more alike than he’d ever care to admit.

‘Is it possible to fly to Earth?’

Ben’s head turns so fast he almost gets whiplash.

He isn’t sure he’s heard her correctly - he can’t have.

‘Did you just say…Earth?!

_Surely not._

He knew it was possible to fly to Earth, but he’d never considered actually doing it.

‘Yeah, why not?’ she asks, as if it really isn’t the most stupid question ever and he shouldn’t be staring at her like she’s a maniac.

He raises an eyebrow at her, screwing his face up in true Ben fashion.

‘Ben, _relax_. It could be kind of fun. Who knows what they have down there?'

'Maybe we’re missing out on heaps of cool stuff?’

Ben's still mulling over the implications while she continues to talk--

‘We could stay a few nights maybe, sleep on the Falcon…’

She’s getting closer now as she's talking about flying and sleeping and he’s kinda freaking out...

His eyes hurriedly roam her body as she steps closer toward him--

Heart racing, he slumps into the pilot seat to put some space between them.

‘And…’ she continues, sitting down in the co-pilot’s seat next to him, ‘…wouldn’t you like to be my first..’

Ben's mind tunes out at that point.

He doesn’t even hear her finish the sentence before his thoughts wander into off-topic territory, as they often do when she’s around.

_Her first?_

_T _hat’s a yes.__

_Ben, she is NOT talking about that._

He snaps out of his brief fantasy to glance over at her.

She’s glaring at him, waving her hand in front of his face to get his attention. ‘Bennn! Hellooo!’

‘In case you missed it, _I said_ …do you want to be my first co-pilot to Earth or not?!

‘So, when are we doing this exactly?’ he asks, just to be sure she’s serious.

She doesn’t hesitate. ‘How about tomorrow?’

_Tomorrow._

_Of course._

‘Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ok, count me in’ he responds, hoping that’ll be an end to it.

Maybe she’ll magically forget overnight or he’ll wake up and it will have all been a dream.

Knowing the two of them they’ll probably kill each other on the way there or Rey will knock him out and fly back to Jakku and dump his body in the dessert or something--

_Maker knows at this point._

Ben gets up to leave and it suddenly hits him.

_She said sleep._

_Does she know exactly how many beds this ship has?_

He knows she’s flown it a few times, but the times they’ve discussed it she’s never once mentioned anything about the rest of the ship, only the cockpit and the gunner station--

_This could be the best idea I’ve ever had -_ Ben thinks _\- or the worst, and she’ll hate me._

Worth the risk, he decides.

A sly grin spreads slowly across his face. _Oh, I hope I can pull this off--_

Rey notices he’s come to a complete standstill at the entrance to the cockpit.

‘Everything ok?’ she asks, sounding concerned.

He turns to look at her, replacing his grin with a blank expression. ‘Yep, all good. Just tired, going to head to bed.’

‘I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?’

‘Ok. Meet me here at 0800’ she says as he’s walking away.

Ben waves his hand over his shoulder in acknowledgment, exiting the Falcon.

He makes his way back to his quarters, flopping down onto his bed.

_Excellent idea, Rey. You just don’t know it yet._

Ben strips, removing his shirt in one swift motion over his head. He shrugs his pants off and dumps them onto the floor with his shirt, climbing under the covers.

 

~~~~x~~~~

 

Rey has overslept, strange dreams once again plaguing her sleep.

Dreams of Ben, to be exact.

If only he knew how much he’d been in her head since the interrogation, and not just because he’d pushed his way in – because she’d willingly let him in.

But she knew he wasn’t that man anymore, however her feelings for him had only grown – they certainly hadn’t gone away.

She’d even grabbed his thigh as they fought back to back after he’d killed Snoke, trying to give him a subtle hint to how she felt - but he hadn’t picked up on it.

And when 'Kylo' had asked her to join him after their epic throne room fight, she’d seriously considered it. But she couldn’t – not then.

But now—

Now he’s free of the First Order, he’s a much nicer guy to be around and she’s actually looking forward to spending more time alone with him.

They hadn’t really discussed a plan of attack for their trip, too busy trying to get a rise out of each other yesterday.

Rey has no idea what’s waiting for them once they get to Earth, but she supposes she should pack a bag.

Ben's been very generous to her in the last year, even offering her a home on his ship, the Finalizer.

She now has her own quarters and even had some clothes tailored personally for her, so she doesn’t have to live in the same two outfits all the time.

She's so grateful to Ben for everything he's done.

A rushed shower and a quick clean-up of her quarters and she’s headed out the door.

 

~~~~x~~~~

 

Ben’s up and dressed by 0700, pacing in his quarters to kill time.

He wants to share that double bed with her and he’s struggled to think of anything else since last night.

Truth be told, Ben has only ever shared a kiss with one girl and that was a long time ago, when he was still a teenage boy.

He’s certainly never shared a bed with one.

As 'Kylo Ren' he’d managed to stifle any feelings he might have had towards women, not having any other choice.

That was, _until Rey._

He thought back to when he'd first encountered her in the forest on Takodana - finally coming face to face with the girl he’d heard so much about.

As Supreme Leader he always had work to keep himself busy, he certainly hadn’t been focused on any sort of romance.

Even when Snoke commanded him to get inside her mind in the interrogation room, he only did so because he’d wanted to find Luke - he certainly hadn’t wanted to hurt her.

In fact, he’d tried to be as gentle as he could.

Now he’s free to feel those things again without restriction and he’s having trouble controlling himself--  
  


Dawn breaks, light now peeking through the dark curtains. Ben throws a heap of random clothes into a bag, not exactly sure what he’ll need.

He dresses quickly, pulling his jacket from the back of the chair and grabbing his blaster from the table next to his bed - holstering it at his side.

A quick stop to check himself out in the mirror and he’s headed out the door, eager to see Rey.

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he exits his quarters and heads toward the Falcon.

 

~~~~x~~~~

 

Rey runs up the boarding ramp, keen to get to the cockpit before--

‘Morning sunshine. You sleep in?’

She hears his sarcastic yet sexy voice before she even sees the back of his head above the pilot seat.

_Dammit._

‘I’ll fly there, you fly back. Deal?’

He turns, looking over his shoulder at her.

‘Deal’ she agrees, quickly realising she now doesn’t have much say in the matter anyway.

Rey flicks the switch at the cockpit entrance, the colourful lights flickering and flaring to life around them.

Shrugging off her jacket, she places it on top of her bag on the floor.

Ben is deep in concentration, obviously keen to get going.

She notices he also has a bag on the floor next to his seat. ‘I’ll put our bags up the back somewhere, there’s not much room in here as it is’ she tells him, moving to his side.

A muttered ‘ok’ is his only response.

Rey grabs both bags, slinging one over each shoulder, and heads back into the Falcon. She decides to do a quick walk-through, to familiarise herself again. It’s been a while since she’s been on this ship and she’s forgotten the exact layout.

Walking through she spots the multiple bunk stations, she remembers those - she’d taken a nap or two there before.

And then there’s the main double bed, slightly smaller than a double in fact but still--

She decides to let Ben have that as he’s much taller than she is and she figures he'll need the leg room.

She decides to take one of the other sets of bunks.

Truth be told, she’d love to share that double bed with him--

\--to snuggle into his warm, secure arms all night – but she knows that’s only a dream.

He obviously doesn't feel that way about her.

She settles their bags on the couch area, heading back to Ben.

‘I’ve punched in the co-ordinates’ he tells her as she walks back in. He’s buckling up.

‘I thought we’d just put it in hyperdrive for most of the trip, to speed things up? I’ll take back control as we get closer to our destination'

Ben has picked the closest city on the map, not really having any clue if it’s a good one or not.

‘Fine with me' Rey responds, taking her seat.

She eyes the dice hanging from the cockpit, remembering her last trip with Han on this very ship.

She misses him, but she can’t tell Ben that. He doesn’t like to talk about his father much, understandably so, although she holds out hope someday that will change.

For now, she guesses it’s still too painful.

Ben glances her way. ‘Ready?’

‘As I’ll ever be’

Ben reaches up, cradling the hanging dice momentarily in his hand.

‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this…’

Rey isn’t sure where that came from, but she remembers Han saying it a few times.

She instantly feels sadness at the memories and Ben glances over, noticing the change come over her.

‘Sorry’ he says, lowering his eyes. ‘Just something Dad used to say. Doesn’t feel right flying without saying it first'

'I didn’t mean to upset you…’

He reaches over, one of his large reassuring hands briefly resting on her knee.

She shivers at his touch and he immediately pulls back.

 

~~~~x~~~~

 

Ben fires up the Falcon. 'Did I ever tell you about the time I waited around for you, shirtless?' he suddenly asks, wiggling his eyebrows at her in a suggestive fashion.

As if she would ever forget...

Rey shakes her head at him, before they simultaneously break out in laughter.

'Yes Ben' she responds, rolling her eyes. 'Many times'

A swift blush creeps over her face and she can't hide it.

And he's noticed - the satisfied grin on his face tells her as much.

 

Rey now realises this could be the worst idea she's ever had--

_Or the best._


	2. Fifth Avenue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben & Rey land on Earth.  
> Rey takes Ben to...interesting places.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I Googled 'NY attractions' and...ran with it!  
> Hit me with your comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear them!  
> And thanks for reading.  
> Gem x

The massive city skyline comes into view as they approach, only the tops of the buildings showing through the thick fog that hangs in the air.

As they descend Rey’s eyes widen in awe at the colour and varying landscapes now appearing before them.

‘It’s just like Takodana, Ben’ she says quietly, trying to take everything in.

Ben is silent.

 _Maybe he’s remembering the first time we met?_ Rey thinks to herself. She recalls their brief encounter in the forest, back when they weren’t exactly friends…

‘I had no idea it would look much the same as our own planets’ he responds in equal amazement, his eyes scanning the terrain for somewhere to land.

‘This ship is massive, Rey. Where exactly am I going to land?’

He looks worried now, as if the enormity of their adventure has only just hit him.

‘I don’t think I quite thought this through’.

He pauses.

‘Actually, no. I don’t think _you_ thought this through’ he says looking over at her - as if it’s somehow her fault.

‘Ben, you agreed to this. It’s a bit late now!

‘You could’ve said no!’

 _I can never say no to you, Rey_   Ben thinks, but that’s not exactly what he says.

Keep her in the dark a little longer.

_Maybe Kylo Ren isn’t completely gone…_

‘That large patch of green over there’ Ben says, pointing off into the distance. ‘Maybe we can land there?’

Rey squints her eyes, trying to get a closer look. ‘You mean the one covered with black dots?’

‘Black dots’ Ben laughs, shaking his head. ‘I have a feeling they’re people Rey, but they’ll soon move when they see this thing.’

He sounds confident enough, so she doesn’t question it.

Little do they know the Falcon is about to land in Madison Square Park, Manhattan.

People in the park have noticed the large ship approaching, now scurrying for safety.

‘I can’t keep this thing in the sky forever, so here will have to do’ he says, guiding the ship ever closer to the ground.

Rey feels the slight jolt from below as they finally touch down, the hiss of the engines settling.

‘I forgot how much fun it was to fly this heap of junk’ Ben says, a faint smile appearing.

‘I actually missed it…’

He disappears from his seat, leaving Rey in the cockpit alone.

She sits staring at the dice for a few moments, thinking how proud Han would be of Ben if he could see him now.

_I knew there was still good in you, Ben Solo._

Rey leaves the cockpit with her jacket, heading towards the exit. She arrives just as Ben is lowering the boarding ramp, fresh air from outside now filling the cabin.

 

~~~~X~~~~

 

The air is chilly at first.

Rey shrugs her jacket over her shoulders, her body attempting to adjust to the colder temperatures.

The sands of Jakku (her only home for so many years) had mostly been a warmer climate – she figures the changing seasons here would take a bit of getting used to.

‘Wow’ Ben exhales, looking around.

He’s leaning against the exit, hands in pockets. ‘Look at this place, Rey’ he says softly.

The first thing she notices are the trees - so much more colourful than those she’s previously seen.

Beautiful hues of yellow, orange and red.

And green.

So much green.

‘Let’s go...before I change my mind’ Ben says, winking at her and breaking her concentration.

They walk down the ramp and it closes behind them. It doesn’t take Rey long to realise that everyone’s staring at them. As in, really staring.

Like they’re strangers from outer space and—

_Oh._

Fear and anxiety suddenly hit her out of the blue. She’s never encountered this many people in the one place before.

She reaches for Ben’s arm, hand, anything so she doesn’t lose him in the crowd.

He’s taken aback when she grabs at him, but he quickly understands why.

_She’s scared._

_She’s been alone most of her life, Ben - you need to comfort her._

He knows because he’s felt that way many times before, but he’s never really had anyone to comfort him, to tell him everything would be ok.

‘Ben’ she whispers nervously, eyes darting side to side as he extends his arm to wrap around her.

‘Hold onto me. I don’t want to lose you’ he says, his large arm encircling her shoulder.

She instantly feels at ease.

‘It’s ok, Rey. You’re not alone’

They make their way quickly across the large grassy park, Ben never letting go of her.

As they exit the park, Rey’s eyes are immediately drawn to the mass of concrete paths and roadways now before them.

One of the first things she notices are the blinking lights on each corner, images flashing on them.

And the crowd - all humans from what she can see so far - walking here and there.

And lots of moving - she doesn’t even know what to call them - vehicles, driving on wheels with people inside.

_Now they look like fun._

‘Ben, look!’ she says, with the excitement of a little schoolgirl.

She tugs on his arm to get his attention and looks up at him, noticing he’s as wide-eyed as she is.

His eyes are lifted skyward, as if expecting to see tie-fighters and cruiser ships flying around but that was one of the first things Rey notices – the sky is all but empty.

It seems here on earth everything is centered around the ground, instead of the sky.

Rey really wants to be able to put words to everything she’s seeing.

‘This way’ Ben says, pulling her slightly to the left. She follows his lead, wondering where exactly he’s headed, quickly noticing he’s making a beeline for the information booth up ahead.

 

~~~~X~~~~

 

The woman behind the counter is currently occupied with someone so Ben grabs a handful of free brochures from the stand, stuffing some into his back pocket.

‘Let’s find a quiet place – if there’s such a thing around here’ he says, looking in all directions ‘and we can read these. We need to find out exactly where we are’

Rey can’t be bothered sitting around reading – there’s so much she wants to see and this is all just taking up precious time.

‘Let’s just ask someone, Ben’ she says, glancing up at the street sign above her head.

 _233 Fifth Avenue_ she reads aloud, but Ben is too absorbed in his reading to even hear her.

She decides to go into the first building she can see, the grey building on the corner, to ask for directions.

It looks nice enough – lots of colourful signs and bright displays filling the windows.

Then she notices the name of it and she’s immediately intrigued.

And curious.

No-one knows her here so she’s free to at least explore things without anyone giving her odd looks.

‘I’m going in here to ask’ she practically yells at him over the noisy crowd.

She doesn’t expect him to want to go into this particular place, but if he did…well, let's just say she wouldn’t mind.

He hears her distinct voice over the throng of people and turns around just in time to see her grab the handle of the door, pulling it toward her.

Ben glances up to read the sign above the double doors and he swears his heart stops beating in his chest.

He reads the sign over a few times, just to make sure he isn’t imagining things but there it is, clear as day --

_Museum of Sex_

_‘_ Rey stop! _’_ he all but screams out, but it’s too late.

The door swings closed behind her and she’s gone from sight.

_Maker almighty._

  
I’ _m gonna have to go in and get her out_ is his first thought, but maybe if he waits long enough she’ll come out on her own.

 _No, can’t do that. She’s all alone in a strange place and—_  
  
  
He blows out the deep breath he didn’t realise he was holding and scrounges every bit of Supreme Leader courage he can muster, heading toward the building.

 

~~~~X~~~~

 

The door closes behind him and the noise from outside all but disappears, soft music filling the bright space.

 _Don’t look Ben. It’s better if you don’t look_ he says over and over in his head, but he can’t help it.

He _has_ to look to see if he can see Rey…and thankfully he spots her almost immediately, bending over one of the displays.

She spots him as she raises her head to tuck her hair behind her ears.

‘Ben’ she whispers as he comes to stand right next to her ‘what _is_ all this stuff?’

Truth is, Rey knows exactly what she’s doing, and she can see he’s already feeling uncomfortable, but she just can’t help herself…

She doesn’t know much about this particular topic, only what Rose has told her, but she knows it’ll be enough to make Ben squirm.

And _that_ she can’t resist.

She points to the display cabinet and Ben does everything he can to avert his gaze elsewhere, but it seems no matter where he looks he can’t escape…

_She asked you a question, Ben._

_Should I?_ _No, you shouldn’t.  
_

‘Rey, I think we should go’ he whispers just low enough for her to hear, all but grabbing her arm to try and pull her away.

‘Why?’ she protests, looking confused and at that moment Ben notices movement out of the corner of his eye.

He turns to see the lady from behind the counter now headed their way.

_Stellar._

_There goes any chance of a quick getaway.  
_

‘Can I help you lovely people?’ she coos, smiling sweetly at Ben, then glancing at Rey.

Ben feels a hot flush creeping up his neck and over his face, wishing he could just use the force to disappear into the floor.

‘No thanks, we’re just leaving’ he stumbles, nervously. This place is making him feel more than a little uncomfortable now.

‘Uh, yes you _can_ help us actually’ Rey responds, Ben praying he could be anywhere else right now.

‘We’re just wondering where we are?’ she continues, still glancing around the store at the displays on the walls.

She’s acting as naïve as she can, noticing Ben trying to avert his eyes from everything around him.

_It’s working._

The lady looks somewhat confused. ‘You’re in the museum of sex, dear’ she responds, lowering her glasses to look over them.

She glances from Rey to Ben and back again.

‘Sex?!’ Rey blurts, loud enough to attract the attention of everyone else in the place.

She gets the exact response she’s hoping for, Ben’s beet red face all the evidence she needs.

Ben hangs his head, staring at his feet, wishing it all would end.

Why did he even have to follow her in here?

He could’ve just waited outside, enjoying the sunshine, watching the world go by but no...

_Of all the times to end up in a place like this, it had to be with her._

_With the only woman he was actually in love with._

_With the only woman he’d even actually consider doing…that with._

‘Rey, _come on’_ he urged her, grabbing her hand - anything, anything to get her out of this place.

He doesn’t care if she hates him after this, he just wants out.

He practically pulls her along behind him, nodding a forced thank you to the woman as they leave.

Once they’re finally outside he keeps pulling her through the crowd, until it clears enough for him to let her go.

She stops in the middle of the sidewalk, hands on hips. She has to at least act naïve so she doesn’t blow her cover.

‘Ben!’ she huffs, a sulky look on her face. ‘I was trying to ask for directions, why did you keep dragging me away?’

Ben stops and sighs, walking back to her.

‘Of all the places to pick, you had to choose _that_ one?’

He isn’t prepared to take the blame for this, it was her fault they’d ended up there in the first place.

‘Rey, I really don’t want to talk about this _right now’_ he responds, turning to walk away.

She quickens her pace until she’s caught up to his long strides.

‘Were you embarrassed?’ she asks, knowing full well he was.

_Yeah, so what if I am? I’d literally rather discuss this with his mother than with you._

_Ok, maybe not my mother. But practically anyone else._

‘Can we just drop it please’ he pleads with a stern look, feeling his face flush once again.

She finally relents. She’d let it go for now, but she was definitely going to be bringing it up later.

‘ _Fine_. Now you can find someone to ask for directions’ she spits out.

‘ _Fin_ e! That’s what you should’ve let me do in the first place’ he responds, pulling the map out of his pocket.

He studies it carefully for a minute, his face finally returning to its natural colour.

‘Here’ he says, pointing to a blue i on the map as she leans over to look.

‘There’s another information booth just up the road. We should head there’

 

~~~~X~~~~

 

She follows him, people watching as she’s walking.

The information booth turns out to be on the edge of a beautiful park area, peppered with trees and beautiful flowers.

Rey takes a seat nearby the booth while Ben asks for information – she’s quite happy to just sit and watch everything happening around her.

Ben’s busy talking to the man at the booth when Rey feels something cool touch her lower leg.

She jerks her leg away in shock and looks down…

There in front of her is the cutest, furriest creature she’s ever seen.

It’s medium in size and has the most beautiful, yet sad looking, brown eyes.

 _Reminds me of someone I know_ she thinks, stealing a quick glance at Ben, giggling to herself.

The cute animal is staring up at her, tongue panting out of its mouth, the owner having tied it up to the seat.

But the man is walking away now and the dog is just watching him go.

_He can’t just leave it there_

Rey starts to panic, thinking he’s abandoned the poor animal and isn’t coming back.

She knows that feeling all too well and it isn’t a good one.

‘Excuse me’ she calls out to the man., chasing after him.

‘Your…’ she says once she’s gained his attention, pointing back at the animal.

Except she doesn’t even know what to call it.

He looks confused for a moment, eyeing her up and down, before responding. ‘Yes, yes he’s fine. He’s a good dog. You can pet him if you like?’

‘His name’s Moose’

_Dog._

_Well, at least I’ve learned the name of one Earth inhabitant today._

She takes that to mean he isn’t abandoning him after all, so she returns to the seat, bending down to pet the curious creature.

His fur is the softest she’s ever felt, and he looks like he’s smiling as she moves her hand to scratch under his chin.

He lets out a few small whimpers and rolls over onto his back, seeking more attention.

Ben finally gets the information he’s after and thanks the man for his help, before turning to walk back to Rey.

She’s bending over with her back to him and he knows he shouldn’t stare at her, but he can’t help himself.

_I’m only human._

As he walks closer he hears her talking to the strange animal at her feet.

‘Who’s a good boy then? You are, yes you are’ she’s saying, in a silly little voice.

It’s the sweetest thing he’s ever heard, and the animal looks like he’s thoroughly enjoying all of Rey’s attention.

_I mean, who could blame him?_

_Lucky thing._

Ben walks up to them, squatting down next to the animal – which turns out not to be the best idea.

The dog promptly leaps into his arms, knocking the papers out of his hand.

This results in Ben practically hugging the animal or rather, trying to get him off while also trying to keep his balance.

It doesn’t work though. He ends up sprawled out on the ground, with the thing licking his face and him trying to push it off.

Rey stands watching the two of them, laughing.

She’s never seen Ben smile so much.

She desperately wants to see more of it.

He eventually regains his footing and the dog now sits at his feet, Ben towering over him as he stands.

He dusts himself off and leans over to pick up everything he’s dropped – and Moose just sits there, watching him pick up every single piece.

‘I think he likes you’ Rey says, smiling sweetly at Ben.

This is the most fun she’s had in ages and they’ve only just arrived.

Rey’s hopeful there’s a lot more fun still to come.

‘I think he likes you too’ he says.

Ben is now eyeballing the dog who's still sitting looking up at him. He’s hardly moved.

_He likes to stare into Ben's eyes too – I get that._

_'_ It's a dog’ she informs Ben, proud to pass on the one thing she’s learnt today.

‘Oh. I’ve seen a few of them around here, they must be some sort of human companion?'

'Whatever they are, I like them’ Ben mused, bending over slightly to pet Moose’s head.

The owner returns shortly after to untie Moose and they walk off into the park, the dog trotting along at his owner's side.

Rey watches them walk away, hoping it won’t be the last time they get to pet a dog while they’re here.

 

~~~~X~~~~

 

‘So, did you find out where we are?’ she asks Ben, turning to him.

He pulls one of the brochures out, handing it to her.

Her fingers make contact with his and he lingers for a moment, not wanting to pull away.

Rey lingers too, not wanting to pull away.

It’s like they’re stuck in some cosmic force and they can’t tear themselves apart.

But unfortunately the moment is all too fleeting.

‘We’re in Manhattan, New York’ Ben says.

‘Apparently everything we need to know about this place, we’ll find in here’ he continues, pointing to the paper in her hand.

Rey flips it open, unfolding it into a large map full of colourful words, numbers and symbols.

‘I hope you can work this out because I’m not sure I can’ she says, suddenly overwhelmed by all the information in front of her.

‘Well, you’re holding it upside down for a start’, Ben laughs.

‘I’m hungry, are you hungry? We should eat something’ he says, standing from the seat.

‘I noticed a restaurant not far from here, maybe we should go there?’

Rey looks confused briefly, it only now occurring to her they probably should’ve done a bit more research before coming here.

‘So, how will we pay for things? Can we use our Imperial Credits here?’

‘Apparently we can exchange our credits for US currency’ Ben advises her, searching deep in his pockets.

‘Which reminds me, we should go and do that now’

They find the currency exchange, swap their currency and set off for the restaurant.

Rey is fascinated by the money - she can’t stop running it through her fingers, simply enjoying the feel of the crinkly paper in her hands.

As they approach the restaurant there's a massive ‘M’ outside the front of it.

 _‘_ McDonalds _’_ Ben reads aloud.

‘Looks cool, and pretty popular by the look of it. Stick by me when we go in though, just in case’

She doesn’t enjoy feeling like a child, but she understands that Ben's only trying to protect her, and she’d never stop him from doing that.

Even though she’d protected herself for years before now, it was nice to finally have someone care about her.

They wander up to the counter, trying to work through the myriad of food choices available.

Burgers, chips, drinks, nuggets, meals – all the pictures of the food look so delicious, but one thing catches Rey’s eye as she roams the screens.

A little box called a ‘Happy Meal’.

Ben laughs when she tells him that's what she wants, but he orders it anyway.

_The Supreme Leader of the Galaxy ordering a happy meal._

Thankfully Hux isn’t here to see this.

Rey takes a seat and Ben returns to the table, carrying a tray loaded with food.

She wonders how they’ll get through it all, even with their massive appetites.

Ben practically inhales his. He's sitting back in his chair, eyes roaming the room, sucking on the straw of his drink.

He flicks his head briefly to remove the hair from his eyes and Rey just sits, watching him.

She’s been doing a lot of that lately.

Rey just has no idea how to feel about Ben.

Sometimes he can be so annoying and frustrating and demanding and other times he's the sweetest, smartest, funniest guy she knows.

And he's certainly the _best-looking_ guy she knows.

He glances over at her then and they make eye contact, neither of them turning away.

They stare longingly into each other’s eyes over the table at McDonalds, like two lovesick puppies.

Rey feels her cheeks flush when he smiles and winks at her, so she tries to busy herself with anything other than his eyes.

She always gets lost in those eyes.

She rips open the little plastic bag in the bottom of her Happy Meal box, pulling out the toy inside.

It's a strange looking thing, black in colour and it looks to be made of plastic.

She ponders it for a moment and notices that the figure is holding something resembling a lightsaber.

Picking up the discarded plastic bag from the box, she flips it over to read what's written on the back.  
  
_What the?_

‘Ben, take a look at this!’

Ben glances up at her, chewing on his drink straw. She passes the toy and the bag to him so he can look at it up close.

‘Wow, what a rip off. This thing’s tiny, Re…’ he says, trailing off as he reads the name on the back.

His mouth drops open as he looks down at it, then back up to Rey, then down again.

_  
Grandfather?!_


	3. Falcon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben & Rey's first day on Earth comes to an end. Rey probes Ben about his past relationships, with unexpected results...

 

'Why do they have toys from _our_ galaxy _here_?!’ Ben says, incredulously.

He’s shaking his head in disbelief, turning the tiny toy over and over in his giant hands.

‘It’s not like we have toys of _them_ in our galaxy?’

‘Ben’ Rey starts, reaching over to grab the toy from his hands ‘We don’t even _have_ McDonald’s!’

He laughs.

How she loves that laugh.

‘Yeah, you’re right. Still odd though, don’t you think?’

‘Yes, but to me everything here is odd’ she shrugs, stuffing the toy into her pocket.

‘You’re taking that with you?’ he asks, a puzzled look on his beautiful face.

‘Yeah, why not? It’s free – says so on the box’

‘I guess so….’ he trails off, beginning to organise the rubbish on their table. 'I wish grandfather were here to see _this_...' she hears him mumble as he walks to the closest bin.

On his way back Rey notices he’s suddenly looking around, rather paranoid.

‘Hey…’ he says, walking over to stand right next to her. ‘Do you think they know who we are?! I mean, those toys…’

‘Ben’ Rey laughs ‘It’s not like they have toys of you and me. Now, that _would_ be weird!’

‘Yeah, yeah. You’re right. Still odd though’

She thinks she may have finally eased his mind on the subject.

'I'm bored of sitting' Rey announces, standing to leave. 'Let's go and explore some more'.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

After leaving McDonald’s they head into the city centre, checking their map for attractions close-by.

Rey spots ‘Central Park Zoo’ not too far away and the map of the zoo is littered with interesting looking creatures. She practically begs Ben to go there – and he doesn’t really take much convincing.

Rey and Ben wander the zoo in awe of the amazing creatures and things they can see before them.

There’s a sea lion pool in the centre courtyard and they spend around 20 minutes watching them swimming around in the clear blue water. They're lucky enough to be there at feeding time and Rey is close enough that the lady offers to let her feed one of them.

It’s one of the weirdest and best experiences of her life. She’s never experienced anything like this before – there certainly weren’t sea lions in the Jakku desert.

‘I wish we could take one of these home with us, Ben’ she says, standing there utterly fascinated.

‘Yeah’ Ben replies. ‘I’m sure they’d love a ride on the Falcon’

Rey laughs.

She sucks in a deep breath of fresh air and breathes it back out, enjoying the sun shining down on them. It’s a whole different warmth than what she’s felt before – not as harsh as the desert sun.

They spend the whole afternoon at the zoo, exploring all the amazing animals. They encounter a massive aviary full of beautiful birds as they wander around and Ben is particularly interested in the black birds - go figure. Everything he likes is black.

There's every animal you could dream of there:

Turtles and frogs.

Stunningly beautiful butterflies - Rey spends almost an hour in the butterfly house alone. A tiny blue one lands on her nose at one point and she freezes - Ben can't help staring at her. The look on her face is one of both sheer amazement and intrigue, wrapped up in warmth and sunshine.

He's so in love it makes him feel sick - in a good way. But internally, it's pure torture.

So he tries to focus on the animals, instead of Rey.

Rey falls instantly in love with the polar bears.

The large, white-fur creatures with sharp claws but somehow the cutest faces - she adores their wet black noses.

The sky is starting to darken as they leave the zoo, Ben deciding they should head back.

After a quick stop at a convenience store to grab some food – they throw in all kinds of things, not really knowing what’s what anyway - they make their way back to the Falcon, enjoying the fresh air while they still can.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Settled back into their home away from home, Rey collapses on the half-circle couch, letting out a huge sigh.

‘That was the _best_ day I’ve _ever_ had’ she says happily to Ben, now slumped on the couch next to her.

Rey’s sitting upright. Ben stretches his legs out in her direction…before placing them on top of her thighs.

She’s startled briefly but only stares at Ben, the look on his face silently asking if this is ok.

Her answer is yes, so she says nothing.

The weight of him is heavy on her legs but she’s secretly enjoying the close contact.

He grabs a bag of salted peanuts from the table and rips open the top. He offers some to Rey first, before even trying them himself.

She grabs a handful and with a quick ‘thank you’, pops the whole lot into her mouth. Ben does the same.

Before long she’s coughing and spluttering, reaching for the bottle of water on the table in front of them.

‘Wow’ she says in between coughs ‘they are _salted_ alright!’

Ben suffers the same fate, reaching for the bottle of water just as Rey does, their hands briefly meeting around the side of the bottle.

They can only laugh at their misfortune but neither of them pulls their hand away.

Rey wonders if she should make the first move but she decides to wait for Ben, except he doesn’t move.

So, there they are.

The two of them, hands intertwined around a bottle of water.

Rey decides to break the ice, pulling her hand away to settle on her lap. Ben does the same.

‘Hey’ she starts, not sure if this is a good idea but deciding to do it anyway. ‘Can I ask you a question?’ she continues, looking over at Ben.

He looks over at her with a smile. ‘Sure. You know you can ask me anything’

‘Ok. You might regret saying that’ she laughs, and he lets out a little chuckle.

‘That first place we went into…’she pauses, now slightly embarrassed to be asking him about sex with nowhere to escape to.

‘Did that embarrass you?’

She looks over at him, waiting for his response.

He shrugs. ‘I guess. Didn’t it embarrass you?’

‘No’ she responds, before she loses her cool. ‘I actually…’

A pause now.

Her face wrinkles up, wondering how he’ll react to her admission.

He’s glancing over at her, waiting for her to finish.

‘I actually…knew what that place was. I guess I just wanted to embarrass you by making you go in’ she admits out loud.

Ben’s staring at her now, his eyes now wide.

She waits for a response and soon gets one.

He cracks up laughing, shaking his head.

‘You _little_ …’ he says, a mischievous gleam in his eye.

‘Well, it worked’ he says, leaning back on the couch.

She decides to risk it all and ask him this next question before she loses her nerve completely. She’s been dying to know anyway so now or never, right?

‘Have you ever…’ she trails off, hoping he’ll pick up what she’s trying to say, without her having to actually come out and say it.

But he’s not taking the bait.

Either that or he knows she’s struggling to say it out loud and he’s going to make her say it anyway.

‘Have I ever what?’ he asks, sitting up.

He places his arm up on the back of the couch, his other hand resting on his thigh. He’s trying to look relaxed, even if he doesn’t feel that way right now.

Rey stumbles, looking down at her feet. She’s come too far to back out now.

‘You know! Have you ever…had…’. She still can’t spit the words out.

‘ _Say it’_ Ben urges her, knowing she’s about to lose her cool.

She’s heard that exact phrase from him before and it made her feel much the same way she’s feeling now,

He’s enjoying watching her squirm.

‘Ben! Don’t make me say it!’ she responds, heat rising to her cheeks.

‘Say what?’ He’s purely teasing her now, so then he decides to have mercy on her and just say it for her.

‘Have I ever had sex? Is that what you’re trying to ask me?’

‘Yes!’ she blurts, covering her face with her hands.

**_Wow._ **

**_For a girl that was bold enough to walk into a sex museum without so much as a flush to her cheeks, she sure is embarrassed now_ _it’s only the two of us_ …**

‘No’

There it is. There’s her answer.

And to be honest, it’s the answer she wanted to hear from him.

‘Have you?’ He asks, turning his head to look at her.

She's uncovered her face but her cheeks are still flushed - she looks so pretty right now.

Ben’s staring again, but he can’t help it. He’s totally smitten and suddenly glad this particular issue is now out in the open.

‘Of _course_ not’ she responds, as if she’s almost offended he’d even ask.

‘Fair enough’. Ben’s quite happy to leave it at that but she obviously isn’t done yet.

‘Have you ever kissed a girl?’ Rey asks, pulling her leg up to rest on the top of her opposite thigh.

She’s turned to face him now.

**_Maybe._ **

‘Yes’

She’s staring at him, eyebrows raised, as if waiting for him to provide more information.

**_More information, right._ **

‘I’ve kissed two women in my life, Rey’

**_Two._ **

‘One was my mother. And if you must know, as a kid I kissed her _more_ than a few times…’

She leans over to poke him in the ribs and he huffs out a laugh.

‘Ok, ok’

‘The other girl was…well…’ he pauses, glancing at up the ceiling as if recalling the moment in his mind.

‘She liked me, and I liked her and…she wasn’t really my girlfriend, but we did kiss…’

**_Is she still waiting for more information??_ **

_‘_ That’s it’ he shrugs, leaning back on the couch again.

‘How was it?’

**_How was it?_ **

‘How was what?’

‘The kiss! How was it?!’

‘It was fine’

‘That’s it? Just fine?’ Rey asks, still prodding.

‘Yeah. It was ok. It wasn’t amazing, it wasn’t bad, it was _just_ a kiss. Why do you want to know all this stuff anyway?’

She sighs and looks sad suddenly.

‘I guess…I’ve just….never been kissed and I’m curious what it feels like’

She shrugs, that cute little blush once again appearing on her cheeks.

**_Now or never, Ben._ **

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

‘Rey, this might be totally inappropriate but I’m going to say it anyway…’ he starts, breathing in deeply, hoping this isn’t the worst mistake he’s ever going to make in his lifetime.

Ok, the second worst.

He knows this could go really badly, but what’s life without a little risk?

'Do you want me to...'

‘Yes!’

**_Yes?!_ **

‘Yes’ she says quietly, moving to sit as close to him as she can get.

And suddenly her hand is on his and her skin is touching his and her eyes are staring up into his and…

Ben’s heart starts thumping hard and he jostles his legs up and down, the way he does when he’s nervous.

**_She said yes._ **

‘Rey, just so we’re clear…’

‘Yes, Ben. I want you to kiss me’ she says, as if it’s not weird at all and it’s completely normal and he shouldn’t be about to lose his damn mind.

‘You do?’ He asks, as if he can’t quite believe it, and he really can’t, but he looks into her eyes and he can see she’s being sincere.

Ben lets out the breath he’s been holding.

‘Ah, you do.’

‘I do’ she says, looking up at him.

‘I’ve liked you forever, you big goof’ she says and that’s totally news to Ben.

His feelings for her have grown since they first met but he didn’t _really_ think he ever stood a chance with her.

All the bad things he’s done, all the heartache he’s caused over the years, the heartache he’s caused her – and now she wants him to kiss her?

**_Don’t stuff this up, Ben._ **

‘Well, if you’re sure?’ he says, teasing her again.

She giggles, and he melts a little inside.

**_It’s her first kiss man, make it a good one._ **

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

He turns toward her, both of them facing each other on the couch.

Rey looking up at Ben with expectant eyes, Ben looking down on Rey with sheer terror in his veins.

He offers her a small smile, mainly to put her at ease and it seems to work, but he notices her eyes are already closed and her face is slowly moving toward his.

**_Kriff._ **

He reaches out to cradle his index finger under her chin, lifting her face up toward him.

He closes his eyes and leans in…

And their lips meet.

**_Finally._ **

It’s sweet and it’s gentle and her lips feel like soft pillows.

**_Ok, this is WAY better than I imagined. Don’t stop._ **

Rey isn’t pulling away, so Ben takes the opportunity to deepen the kiss a little, but not too much – he doesn’t want to scare her away.

A soft, little murmur escapes her and sends a chill right through him.

And she’s still not pulling away.

He decides this is getting hot and heavy far too quickly and he doesn’t want her to regret this come tomorrow, even if it was her idea, so he goes to pull away.

But just as he goes to, she does something he’s not expecting.

She grabs on to the back of his neck and basically holds him there so he can’t pull away.

**_She really wants this._ **

And Ben figures, who is he to argue?

Rey opens her mouth a little and Ben decides to take the bull by the horns.

**_Hey, if she’s offering…_ **

Ben’s as gentle as he can be but Rey? Not so much.

Her tongue is in his mouth the minute he opens it, and the feelings that were building in Ben before are now overflowing at waterfall speed.

Ben quickly pulls his tongue back into his own mouth and Rey seems to get the message.

The intensity of the kiss lessens soon after and before Ben knows it, Rey is first to break contact.

He pulls back and takes the time then to just stare at her face, to memorise every little detail.

She’s breathless and her beautiful lips are now plump and a little swollen.

**_I did that._ **

Her cheeks are flushed a rosy pink and if Ben hadn’t just kissed her senseless, he’d do it again.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

‘Wow’ is all she says, a deep sigh escaping her.

She’s staring at him again, although she’s moved away just a little, and Ben’s not sure if that’s a good wow, or a bad wow, or if he should run or….

‘Was that…ok?’ Ben asks, praying to the maker she says yes.

**_Please say yes. Please say yes._ **

‘Ben’ she breathes. ‘That was better than ok’

**_Sweet._ **

‘You’re an amazing kisser, Rey…I hope you know that?’

She’s blushing furiously but it’s the cutest thing he’s ever seen.

‘Well, I do now’

And there’s that sweet smile.

**_Man, I’m so far gone for this girl._ **

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

In the afterglow, they sit and cuddle on the couch, discussing the day’s events.

All the built-up tension of - does he like me, because I like him, and does she like me, because I’m in love with her – is suddenly gone.

Rey yawns, stretching her arms out wide over Ben, nearly hitting him in the face.

‘I’m exhausted’ she says, sleepily.

‘Same. It’s been a big day, we should head to bed’ Ben says, standing from the couch.

Rey goes to change somewhere more private so Ben takes the opportunity to undress, keeping only his underwear on. It’s what he normally sleeps in, so he doesn’t feel the need to cover up just because Rey's here.

She’s seen him shirtless before anyway.

Plus, he’s still in the mood for a little teasing – I mean, what’s a road trip without a bit of fun?

Hopping into the ‘one bed’ on the Falcon, he yells out to Rey.

‘Oh, did I forget to mention? There’s only one bed on here’

Rey hears him call out as she's shucking the last of her clothing onto the floor.

**_One bed huh? Yeah, right Ben._ **

**_No Rey. Don’t let this opportunity pass._ **

**_Just go along with it._ **

‘That’s fine’ she yells back and he’s surprised, as that’s not exactly what he was expecting to hear.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

He’s never seen Rey in her sleepwear before so he’s not sure what he’s expecting her to come out looking like…

…but it’s certainly **_not. that._**

She’s walking toward him, her chestnut hair falling around her shoulders – she’s obviously let it down to sleep – her amazingly gorgeous legs now completely on show under her…

No, _his._

_His shirt._

_'That's fine’_ Her words ring in his ears.

Except suddenly, it’s definitely…

**_not. fine._ **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment if you're still reading & enjoying this! I'd love to hear from you!  
> Gem x


	4. Captain's quarters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 on Earth. Ben and Rey experience a series of firsts...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Please note the rating change. Sorry, this took a LOT longer than expected!  
> Thank you for reading and for being so patient, I love you all.  
> Gem x

**Coney Island, Brooklyn**

_It’s true that the once popular resort destination fell into decay after the Second World War. In recent years, however, Coney Island has been revitalized: the boardwalk has been renovated, new showers and toilets have been installed and the 2.5 mile beach is once more clean and inviting._

_A cheap subway ride from Midtown Manhattan takes less than an hour: you can catch the D, F, N or Q train to Coney Island/ Stillwell Avenue station, which is just two blocks away from the beach. Take a ride in the famous Cyclone Rollercoaster, have a hotdog at Nathan’s Famous, stroll along the boardwalk, relax on the beach and go for a swim!_

 

Ben reads the scrawl in the brochure for the third time that morning.

He’s risen early, Rey still sleeping soundly.

He has a plan for today, but he’ll need to wake Rey shortly if he wants to put it into action.

She looks so peaceful in bed, but he’s certain she’ll love his idea, regardless of the initial grumbling he’ll likely receive upon waking her.

He’s been sitting in the cockpit for over an hour, hair still damp from his earlier shower, studying the map.

All his reading has centred around the beaches close to Manhattan.

His plan is to take Rey to the beach.

He’s settled on Coney Island in Brooklyn in particular, somewhere he’s sure she’ll love.

She’s seen water before and she’s done nothing but talk about how beautiful it was at every opportunity, so he knows it’s a guaranteed winner.

It means they’ll have to battle the subway, but Ben’s pretty sure they can handle it.

He’s just contemplating waking Rey when he hears her soft footsteps. She sits across his lap, her arms around his neck, a soft kiss being placed on his lips.

**_Morning breath be damned._ **

‘Morning. I’m glad you’re awake’ he says, caressing her bare thigh with his hand.

She shivers and offers him a smile. ‘How long have you been up, Ben? I didn’t even notice you were gone’

He laughs. “Actually, I’ve been up for over an hour’

‘Oh’. Rey stretches her arms up above her head, lifting the shirt to reveal more of that tanned skin he had his mouth all over.

Rey looks just as beautiful in the morning and Ben can’t help but stare at those perfect legs still on show under _his_ shirt.

And joy, his groin is now fully awake, too.

He doesn’t even bother to try and hide the obvious – she’s sitting on his lap, there’s no doubt she’s felt it already.

‘I know where we can go today, but we’ll have to leave soon. Why don’t you go and get ready?’

She wriggles in his lap with a cheeky grin, not helping his little issue downstairs.

‘Ok’ she says, hopping up. She plants another kiss on his cheek before leaving the cockpit for the Captain’s quarters to freshen up.

Ben turns, watching her walk away.

He leans his head back in the pilot’s chair and closes his eyes, remembering last night’s events as clear as day…

 

~~~~~~~~~~

**10 HOURS EARLIER**

 

Rey pads over to the bed, draped in Ben’s shirt.

He’d left it on the floor where she was changing, and she saw another opportunity to tease him a little.

She knew _full well_ there was more than one sleeping option on the Falcon, but she’d decided earlier to play naïve and she was going to stick with that.

If it meant she got to share a bed with Ben, even for one night, it was worth it in her mind.

He's so massive compared to her, the shirt slips off one of her shoulders, hanging well past her bottom.

She realises then that she hadn’t packed any special underwear for her trip, certainly not thinking she’d need any.

However, after their kiss earlier, maybe she needed to rethink that?

Time would tell.

If so, could be a good excuse to hit the shops tomorrow…

So that left her in her plain nude panties - practical but not exactly _sexy._

Rey can see Ben laying on his back, already in bed, but his head is raised and he’s looking in her direction – his piercing eyes trained on her.

She feels a little uncomfortable with him staring _like that_ , but she knows she’s bought this on herself, so she has to own it now.

Rey hikes the bottom of the t-shirt up a little, pretending there’s an itch high on her thigh that desperately needs scratching, and Ben notices.

Boy, does _he_ notice.

His eyes leave her as he rests his head back on his pillow, a soft groan escaping.

Rey ignores that, pulling back the covers to hop in next to him.

He immediately turns onto his side, his back now facing away from her.

**_Maybe I pushed it too far?_ **

Rey lays her head on the pillow, the ensuing silence already driving her crazy.

She should be used to silence, having lived alone for so long, but she’s kind of grown accustomed to noise more recently.

‘Ben’ she whispers. ‘Is everything ok?’

Ben doesn’t answer but she can see his chest rise and fall next to her so at least he’s breathing.

‘Ben?’ She tries again. ‘I haven’t done anything wrong, have I?’

‘No Rey. You haven’t done anything wrong’ he sighs, his legs shifting under the covers.

‘Then why won’t you talk to me?’

‘I am talking to you, Rey. I just answered you, didn’t I?’ he replies, already sounding a little frustrated.

‘But you’re not exactly talking to me, you only answered because I asked you something’

That seems to get his attention.

He sighs again, deeper this time, rolling onto his back. His legs are now raised, bent at the knee.

‘Ok, let’s talk. What do you want to talk about?’

Rey isn’t exactly sure what she wants to talk about, she just knows she doesn’t want to sit in silence.

‘Is there something bothering you? You turned away from me when I got into bed, like you were angry with me or something?’

‘I told you Rey, I’m not angry and you’ve done nothing wrong. I just…’

He trails off, as if he’s worried about divulging whatever it is to her.

‘I’d like to think we can tell each other anything, can’t we?’ Rey asks, hoping he’ll open up.

‘Ok Rey. You want me to tell you what the problem is, fine’ Ben says, his frustration still evident.

‘I had a little plan but it kind of backfired and to be honest, I’m a little embarrassed and…affected by it’ he finishes, motioning his eyes down towards his legs, trying to give her a subtle hint of something.

**_Ok_?**

‘So, what was your plan exactly?’

 ** _Damn, don’t ask me that_**   Ben thinks, wishing this conversation had never even _come up,_ so to speak.

‘My plan…’

 _‘Yes._ You said your plan backfired, what _was_ your plan?’

**_Why don’t men ever understand a straightforward question?_ **

‘My plan was to trick you into thinking there was only one bed, hoping you’d sleep with me…’

He panics when he sees her eyebrows raise. ‘I mean, not _sleep with me_ sleep with me, but you know…’

His ears are flushed bright red and it’s so cute Rey can’t help but giggle.

Ben’s mouth turns up into that beautiful smile of his and he huffs out a laugh.

‘I’m glad you think this is so funny’

Rey props herself up in bed, hand on cheek. ‘Wait’

‘You _wanted_ to sleep with me. In the same bed, I mean?’

Now it’s her turn to blush, because the way he stares at her gives her _those_ feelings all over again.

‘Yeah’ Ben admits, shrugging his shoulders as if it’s no big deal.

But it’s a big deal to Rey.

She’s wanted this for longer than she cares to admit - since he picked her up in the forest, she’s wanted this.

No one has ever made her feel the way Ben does and now that he’s left Kylo behind, she wants to get to know him a lot better.

**_Maybe I need to tell him that._ **

‘Well, you’re not the only guilty one here’ she admits out loud.

‘Oh?’ There’s that look again.

‘Yeah, I wanted this too’

Ben’s eyebrows raise in surprise. ‘Really?’

‘Mm hm’ Rey responds.

**_May aswell spill everything, Rey. Be up front._ **

‘I like you, Ben’

Ben adjusts himself. He doesn’t say anything - just puts his hands behind his head, resting casually against the pillow.

 **_Say something dammit_ ** _._

The next time she looks over, he’s smiling. Looking pretty pleased with himself, to be honest.

He turns to face her. ‘You like me, Rey?’

**_I wish he wouldn’t look at me…like that._ **

Rey sighs, and decides to go for it. She wriggles in closer to him, gently placing her arm on his.

A shiver runs through her.

Their first kiss was amazing – would it be asking too much to take things further?

She takes his hand, interlocking her fingers with his, his grip quickly tightening.

‘Ben. I really, really like you. I have done for a long time…’

He cuts her off. ‘I like you too, Rey…as more than friends’

It’s her turn to be surprised now.

**_More than friends._ **

She’s feeling brave right now, just the two of them alone on the Falcon. ‘Can you just kiss me, please?’

Ben smiles.

He reaches for her cheek with his massive hand, cupping it and pulling her face to his, tilting his head to access her lips.

Their lips meet in a soft, needy kiss.

Not as desperate as the first one was, but still just as good.

It quickly progresses to a tongue-clashing kiss, their combined panting growing louder in the silence.

Rey pulls away after some time, breathless, her forehead resting on his.

She can feel his breath on her face.

‘Ben’ she whispers, deciding she’s feeling bold enough to suggest they keep going.

‘Rey’ Ben breathes, and she can see his chest rising and falling, his ripped abs on full display.

‘Can we…’ Rey starts, looking away from his eyes to hide her embarrassment, before meeting them again.

‘Can we?’ His eyes are glancing from her mouth to her eyes and back again.

**_Please don’t make me say it._ **

Rey decides actions speak louder than words. She pulls the covers back slowly.

It’s now clearly visible what he was trying to hide.

Rey drinks in the sight of him, lying there on the bed, hard… _for her._

Boldly, she reaches for his underwear, hooking her fingers on either side of the waistband.

But as she goes to pull them down, he stops her. His hands are on hers, holding them in place. His eyes are wide.

‘Rey’ He’s still pinning her hands in place. ‘What are you doing?’

She hesitates, then decides honesty is always the best policy.

‘I want to have sex with you, Ben’

**_Ok, it’s out there now._ **

‘Rey, I…’ He pauses and swallows, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat.

Every second of silence is killing her a little more, the knot in her stomach growing.

He shakes his head, as if he doesn’t quite believe what he’s hearing.

‘Is that what you _really_ want?’

She doesn’t hesitate.

‘Yes’

Ben drops her hands, but his eyes never leave her.

His expression turns serious again, almost Kylo-ish. Rey hasn’t seen that look in a long time.

He sucks in a deep breath before continuing. ‘Just because we’re in bed together doesn’t mean we have to…do anything’

**_He doesn’t want you._ **

**_Not like that._ **

‘You don’t want to?’

‘No. I mean, yes. I mean…’ He’s struggling to put a complete sentence together.

‘Of course I do, but I don’t want you to think that’s what I expect just because we’re sharing a bed together, you know?’

‘I’m not a child, Ben’ Rey responds, quite hurt by his response.

'I’m a grown woman and I can make my own decisions’

‘Absolutely’

‘I just…want you to be sure of the _reasons_ you’re doing it, that’s all’ he shrugs, running his hand through his hair.

He rubs one eye and she’s not sure if he’s tired or if that’s another nervous habit she hasn’t picked up on yet.

‘I want to do it because I really like you and I’ve never… _liked_ anyone before’

‘You mean a lot to me, Ben. You cared about me like no-one ever has and I just…I really want to do this. With you’

He smiles.

‘Ok’ He nods.

**_Ok?_ **

‘Really?’ She never thought she’d be so lucky.

‘Yeah, if you’re completely sure?’ he says, his eyes searching hers for final confirmation.

Ben decides to be up front with her, he owes her that much.

Not because he wants to sleep with her, but because he cares about her and she deserves to know how he feels.

‘Rey, I’m in love with you. I have been for a while’

‘If you really want to do this…then I do, too’

She nods eagerly, and he’s got all the confirmation he needs.

He leans in to kiss her and Rey’s glad they can finally stop talking and start doing.

They enjoy kissing for a while - playful kisses - exploring each other’s mouths, finding what feels good, what works.

Rey’s nerves grow, butterflies swarming her stomach.

She pulls away.

‘Do you know how to…you know...’ she asks, hopeful he knows how to get them started.

He laughs gently, and it helps puts her at ease.

‘Well, I’ve read stuff and I’ve…talked to people but I probably know as much as you do’ he shrugs.

Rey wonders if ‘people’ included his father. If they ever got to have a father/son conversation, about that and about other things?

She decides now’s definitely not the time to ask.

He must sense how nervous she is.

‘Just relax, Rey. There’s no pressure here, ok? Let’s just see where it leads’

She smiles, snuggling into his side. His long arm encircles her shoulders, pulling her into him.

He leans down, cradling her chin in his hand, pulling her lips back up to his.

As the kiss deepens, Rey slides further down the bed, pulling Ben over on top of her.

He’s now towering above her, his weight heavy but at the same time, comforting.

She runs her hands through his hair, caressing his face, tracing her fingers over the scar she gave him.

She loves that scar - a constant reminder of the past and everything Ben used to be.

A little part of her that will never leave him.

As she caresses his face, learning every part of it, he’s staring down at her, a softness to his face she’s never seen before.

She traces her fingers around his chin and slowly down his neck, his five o’clock shadow rough to the touch, a protruding vein in his neck earning the most of her attention.

He shudders as she runs her fingers over his skin. Rey can feel his pulse racing beneath her fingertips.

His eyes close briefly and she can tell how much he’s enjoying being touched.

Has he never felt this kind of affection from another human?

How is that even possible?

Then she remembers she hasn’t either - two lonely souls who’ve found comfort in each other.

She wants to give Ben everything in that moment, everything he’s missed out on for so long.

Everything Snoke drained from him.

Everything his mother and father felt they couldn’t give him.

‘Rey?’ His soft voice interrupts her thoughts.

‘Can I touch you?’

He’s asking her permission, asking to explore her body, not knowing that’s all she’s yearned for for the longest time.

‘Please, Ben’ she responds, stealing a soft kiss on his lips.

He moves down her body, his hands now on the hem of his shirt. He looks up to gauge her reaction and Rey nods slightly.

It’s all the cue he needs.

He pulls the shirt up and over her head, throwing it onto the bed behind him.

She hears a soft ‘wow’ escape his lips as he sits up slightly, his eyes never leaving her chest.

He’s deadly silent, Rey laying there, half naked and vulnerable.

The eyes of the only man she’s ever cared for locked on her body.

‘Beautiful’ he murmurs.

‘So, so beautiful’

He leans in again, searing her skin with hot kisses that begin at the lobe of her ear, work their way down her neck, across her collarbone and continue down…

Rey sucks in a breath at the sudden, heated contact.

His mouth is wet, and she can feel the traces of saliva he leaves on her skin.

A tingle runs through her as his attention turns to her nipple.

She’s watching his every move.

Ben licks his lips, eyes locking with hers. ‘Can I put my mouth on you?’ he asks.

**_Kriff yes!_ **

Rey simply nods.

He sucks a nipple gently into his mouth, running circles around it with his tongue.

He does the same with the other, granting both equal attention.

The sensation has Rey fully aroused, she can feel the heat between her legs growing, wetness seeping through her underwear.

She’s a little embarrassed – she’s only ever felt this way exploring her own body – it’s an odd sensation having someone else pleasuring her.

And Ben, of all people.

An odd sensation definitely, but it’s perfect.

She closes her eyes as Ben gets to know her near naked form - his hands all over her skin, his lips all over her body.

He’s busy peppering her stomach with kisses, his fingers tracing the band of her underwear.

**_What if I’m not good enough?_ **

**_What if I ruin his first time?_ **

**_What if he doesn’t like what he sees?_ **

Rey’s mind suddenly floods with panic. ‘Ben, can you please stop?’

She regrets the words almost as soon as they leave her mouth.

Her cheeks flush with embarrassment, but she knows it’s too late to take it back now.

Ben stops immediately. He sits up on his haunches, before moving to the head of the bed, propping himself up next to her.

His hand is on her arm again, his reassuring touch comforting her once more.

He’s waiting, possibly for an explanation, and who could blame him…

Rey takes a deep breath in and out. ‘I’m so sorry, Ben’

He lowers his head to look into her eyes, giving her arm an affectionate squeeze.

‘You have nothing to apologise for’ he responds.

‘Are you sure? Because I said I wanted to but then…’ Rey’s voice trails off.

She’s ringing her hands together, unable to look Ben in the eye.

‘Rey, listen to me’ Ben says, his voice stern. ‘I said I was into this as long as _you_ were. And if you’re not, then I’m not’

‘I would _never_ expect you to do something you aren’t comfortable with’

Rey shifts in bed, wrapping both her arms around Ben’s middle, snuggling her head into his bare chest. ‘Thank you for being so understanding’.

‘You don’t need to thank me, Rey. Really’

Rey goes to say something, but she hesitates. She’s not ready for the ‘L’ word just yet, but she feels it’s not that far off.

No-one has ever cared for her the way that Ben has, and no-one has ever really taken the time to talk to her like he has.

He’s now the most important person in her life and she doesn’t want that bond to end – ever.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

They spend the remainder of the evening cuddled in bed, simply talking.

Ben opens his heart to her. He talks about his life as a child growing up, about his Uncle Luke and his time at the Jedi temple.

She’s never seen him open up like this.

He gets teary at times, especially when he talks about his father and mother.

Rey wishes he’d had love and support as a child, she can see how much it still affects him now. She can certainly relate to the loneliness he felt, growing up without parents of her own.

The conversation is honest and raw and has Rey tearing up toward the end.

She wipes a tear from the corner of her eye, and Ben places a soothing kiss there. ‘Ben. I feel like I can talk to you like no-one else’

‘I feel the same, Rey. We can both be lonely together, right?’ he teases, giving her a little elbow to the ribs.

‘But I don’t feel lonely when I’m with you, Ben. I feel safe’

Ben smiles.

‘I mean, who wouldn’t feel safe in _these_ arms?’ she says, squeezing his bulging arms muscles in her tiny hands. She offers him a playful wink and he gives her that look again, letting out a little laugh.

She leans up for a kiss and their lips connect once more - kissing Ben is second nature now.

Rey stifles a yawn but Ben notices. ‘We should really get some sleep’

He sinks down into bed, Rey doing the same.

Ben pulls the covers up over her, tucking them in around her shoulders. He plants a soft kiss on her forehead, whispering ‘goodnight’.

Rey rolls over onto her side, shifting her backside up against him. Ben is lying next to her with his arm around her waist.

She can feel the bulge in his briefs behind her, rueing her missed opportunity earlier that evening.

Rey silently vows to have sex with him before they return home.

‘Goodnight Ben’

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~

**BACK ON THE FALCON**

 

Ben enters the Captain’s quarters, retrieving his jacket from the walk-in closet.

He can hear the shower running and he’s not sure why Rey’s been in there so long, but he figures it’s a female thing.

He also figures it’s for the best he probably _not_ know.

The shower cuts off and the door opens before he has a chance to retreat. And Rey is there – naked.

‘BEN!’

Rey screams at him, grabbing the nearest piece of clothing from the rack, moving to hide behind it.

Ben can’t move, his feet rooted to the floor - at least, that’s what it feels like when he tries to move.

He looks away quickly - hard as it is - affording her at least an ounce of privacy.

Her eyes are wide, her cheeks now flushed. ‘I thought you were still in the cockpit!’

Ben can’t speak, too embarrassed, trying desperately hard not to stare. He makes a quick exit, leaving Rey yelling at him from afar.

Waiting patiently for her to come out, eventually he thinks maybe she’s hiding in there - hiding from him.

Soon enough she emerges, her hair pulled up into a messy bun. She’s dressed in black pants and a loose white t-shirt and _maker_ , she looks _gorgeous_.

He instantly hopes last night was a one-off. Now he’s seen her naked, he wants it _all_ \- immediately cursing himself under his breath.

Ben knows full well he needs to wait for Rey to be ready but it’s not going to be easy.

‘Rey, I’m really sorry. I assumed you’d at least taken a towel in there and you wouldn’t be coming out naked…’

The flush starts at her neck, working its way up to her face. Ben decides it’s best to say nothing more on the subject, especially with the look she’s currently giving him.

She pretends nothing even happened, steering the conversation back to the day ahead.

‘So, about today…’

**_Yeah, there’s that look again._ **

**_Shut it, Ben._ **

He clears his throat. ‘Yes, today…’

He stands, grabbing his jacket from the back of the couch. ‘We’d better be going, it takes a little over an hour to get there. Ready to go?’

‘Almost’ she responds, slipping into her flats. ‘I just need to grab my jacket’

Rey heads back to the closet for her jacket. Ben opens the Falcon door, ensuring the map and directions to the beach and safely tucked away in his jacket pocket.

As the door opens, the Falcon is flooded with daylight. Ben waits for Rey, taking in the fresh air, listening to the birds singing.

**_This planet really is something else._ **

**_If I’d never met Rey, I probably wouldn’t have made it here._ **

**_Wouldn’t have kissed her tanned skin, accidentally seen her naked…_ **

‘Ready!’ Rey sings out, approaching him from behind and making him jump.

He offers her his hand and she obliges, squeezing his tight. The door closes behind them and they set off, walking the short distance to the subway.

Ben takes charge once they get there, Rey clinging to his arm the whole time.

It’s hard to understand the train timetables on display, so they make their way to the information desk. Ben pays for their tickets, handing them to Rey for safe keeping.

They wait on the platform for around half an hour, thinking they may have missed their train. Turns out it arrived 10 minutes late, according to the announcement over the loud speaker.

Once aboard, Ben snaffles the last available seat in the carriage, pulling Rey along behind him.

Rey scans the crowd of people as they zip along underground.

Mothers with young children. Young people - their heads constantly down and their ears plugged, unless they’re actually making the effort to talk to someone. Well-dressed men in smart suits standing, rocking in motion with the movement of the train.

Rey finds the motion of the train quite soothing.

She hasn’t let go of Ben’s hand. He’s stroking it gently with his thumb, his eyes eventually settling on an older couple across from them.

The older gentleman with the tattered hat has his head resting against the window, staring out into the blackness. His wife, Rey assumes, has her head resting on his shoulder, her eyes closed.

The train exits the underground and they can see the city fading from view.

The light wakes the sleeping woman, her head now raised. Her husband looks at her and they smile sweetly at each other.

Rey looks up at Ben. He’s smiling to himself and she wonders what he’s thinking.

He steals a glance at her.

‘Do you think we’ll ever end up like that?’ she asks, nodding her head in the direction of the older couple.

Ben raises his eyebrows at her unexpected question. ‘I really hope so’ he responds sincerely.

‘But please, if I ever end up wearing a hat like that…’ he continues, shaking his head.

They laugh in unison, Rey resting her head on the back of the seat.

The scenery zips by and before long the water comes into view in the distance, Rey’s eyes lighting up at the prospect of more time near the water.

‘Ben’ she asks, staring up at him. ‘Where are we going exactly?’

Ben smiles, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

‘It’s a surprise but I’m guessing you’ll love it’

She pulls a face, knowing he isn’t going to tell her what she wants to know, so she’ll have to wait. But it’s only another 5 minutes before the train slows, Ben checking the sign above the door.

_-Stillwell Avenue station-_

‘This is our stop’ he says, standing and trying to keep his balance, offering his hand to her. Rey takes his hand and they make their way to the closest exit.

The train pulls up and they disembark, the sun from the pavement almost blinding them. After so long in a dark train underground, it’s nice to see the light again.

It’s a quick two-block walk to the water and Rey's almost running in her excitement, dragging Ben along behind her.

As they near the sand, Rey stops.

She turns back to face him, unable to hide the huge smile on her face.

‘Thank you for bringing me here, Ben’ she says, wrapping him in a tight hug.

She bends down to kick off her shoes, Ben stealing a glance at her cute butt as she does.

‘Hey, I saw that’ she says, playfully.

‘Hey, can you blame me?' he says, shrugging. 'I'm only human'

Ben removes his shoes and they walk to the water’s edge, hand in hand.

The noise of those around them fades into the background, their only focus right now - each other.


	5. Last day on Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben felt weird to even be thinking about this.
> 
> All he’d ever craved was longing and love, the things he’d missed out on his whole life – the things most of the people in his life had told him he didn’t deserve - and now the most beautiful girl in the galaxy was offering to give him everything.
> 
> The most important part of herself…to him.

Rey flicks the sand with her toes as she walks the water’s edge with Ben.

After reaching the quiet end of the beach, they turn around and walk back, finding a seat on a large rock near the pier.

Rey’s captivated by the sight of children playing, sitting with her legs curled up to her chest, Ben beside her.

‘Do you want kids of your own someday?’

The question comes out of nowhere, blindsiding him.

He continues drawing in the sand with the large stick he found along the shore.

He hadn’t expected this topic to come up quite so soon.

‘Yeah…someday’ he replies, drawing something resembling a death star in the soft sand.

He hesitates for a moment.

‘Although, I’m not sure what kind of father I’d be’

‘I didn’t exactly have the best examples for parents growing up…’

**_But at least you had parents._ **

**_Be grateful._ **

Rey looks sad almost, or maybe just lost in thought.

‘I like to think you and I could be the parents we never had’ she says, reaching for his hand.

Ben smiles, glancing at Rey, a few stray locks of hair blowing across her face in the slight breeze.

**_You and I?_ **

**_Meaning?_ **

‘Are you saying…you want kids with me, Rey? Cause you know, I want at least 6’ he says with a cheeky wink.

Rey’s eyes go wide.

‘Wow, 6?’

Ben laughs, mildly amused she actually fell for it.

‘Nah, just two’

He shrugs. ‘Twins run in my family, so I figure if we have twins once, then we’re done’

Rey smiles, knowing Ben has obviously already put thought into this.

She grips his hand a little tighter, snuggling into his side.

‘You think you’d be up for that?’ he asks.

**_May aswell put it out there._ **

Rey takes a deep breath, gazing up at him with glistening hazel eyes. ‘You know what? I think I would’

‘Can I ask you something?’

Rey’s nervous about the question she needs to ask, but they have to discuss it at some stage.

And bringing it up in the heat of the moment would be _less_ than ideal.

‘Something personal?’

Ben raises his eyebrows. ‘Yeah, shoot’

She swallows down the lump in her throat.

‘When you say you want to have kids…how soon are you thinking?’

Ben bites his lower lip, deep in thought.

‘Well…not right away. Maybe a year, or two?’

Rey nods, glad he’s thinking along the same timeline she is, but that means she’s going to have to ask her next question.

She feels her cheeks blushing at the thought of it, Ben still staring at her.

‘So then…about tonight…’

She cringes internally, not even remembering if they actually set in stone that they were going to sleep together tonight.

Maybe she should've informed him of her plans.

Ben blinks. ‘Tonight?’

Rey swallows again, and that lump just doesn’t seem to be going away.

‘I was hoping tonight…’ She pauses, hoping Ben picks up what she’s trying to say.

He looks at her, confused.

**_What’s she…_ **

**_Oh._ **

‘You mean you want to….do it…’

‘…tonight?’

**_Do it??_ **

**_Idiot._ **

Rey sighs, realising he finally gets it.

She nods, smiling back at him. ‘So, I was wondering…what… _wedoaboutprotection_?’ she blurts.

Ben throws his head back in amusement. ‘How many times did you practice that in your head?’ he asks, still laughing.

‘Only a few’ she admits, lowering her head so she doesn’t have to look in those pretty eyes.

Ben looks down at his feet, crossing one foot over the other.

‘Do you have an implant?’ he asks, tentatively.

Rey’s kind of ashamed to admit that she doesn’t - because it means she’s never loved anyone, and never needed one - but she has to be honest.

‘No’ she says quietly, and it’s silent for a minute or two.

It's an awkward silence, before Ben breaks it. ‘All good’

Rey looks up at him expectantly, hoping it is.

‘Leave it with me, ok?’ he says. ‘This place has everything, I’m sure they’ve invented _something_ ’

‘Ok. I’m happy to leave it with you’

She’s also entirely happy to change the topic of conversation. ‘Can we go shopping?’

Ben smiles, nodding. ‘I was wondering when you’d get around to that’  
  


~~~~~~~~~~

  
He checks his watch again.

The bench he’s sitting on is starting to get uncomfortable, his long legs crossed underneath.

**_Damn you, tiny seats._ **

According to his calculations, Rey’s been in the one shop for over 20 minutes – surely it can’t take that long to find something?

Ben’s mind wanders to images of Rey trying things on in the fitting room – her bare legs and perfect torso bared to the cool air as she strips, her head cocked as she mulls over her outfit in the mirror…

He’d gotten just a taste of how beautiful she was last night, but tonight--

Ben was nervous about tonight.

Times like this he wished his Dad was around to talk to – he would’ve answered anything he’d wanted to know about women and sex – but sadly, that was no longer an option.

And that, was _his fault_.

He shoved those rising feelings back where they belonged, deep down, and tried to focus on how he was going to prepare for losing his virginity.

Ben felt weird to even be thinking about this.

All he’d ever craved was longing and love, the things he’d missed out on his whole life – the things most of the people in his life had told him he didn’t deserve - and now the most beautiful girl in the galaxy was offering to give him _everything_.

The most important part of herself… _to him._

He didn’t feel like he even deserved her, but he wasn’t going to let her slip through his fingers.

Ben stood from the bench, rolling his neck to stretch it out.

**_Where do I find out about modern contraception?_ **

**_I’m not asking anyone, that’s just embarrassing…_ **

A newsstand appears out of the corner of his eye, so he makes a beeline for it.

Rey’s in the near vicinity so he has a bit of time to kill and he’ll still be close by if she needs him.

There are some cool magazines about cars and some awesome looking comic books on display, but Ben ignores them all for the buff guy on the cover of ‘Men’s Health’ magazine.

**_Damn, I wish I looked like that._ **

A tagline on the cover draws his eye – ‘How to make first-time sex the BEST sex’

He makes a split-second decision to buy the magazine – he can take all the help he can get, really.

Ben stuffs the magazine into the waistband at the back of his jeans, as he sees Rey exit the shop headed for him.

‘What took you so long?’ he asks with a wink, eyeing the bag in her hands. ‘What did you buy?’

She’s acting cagey, so he lets it go.

‘I’m just gonna head over there’ she says sweetly, flashing him a smile.

**_You smile like that and I’ll let you do anything you want, Rey…_ **

**_Anything._ **

‘Ok. I’ll just sit on this bench for another half hour’ he says cheekily, copping a fake punch to the ribs.

‘Well, actually, it could be _longer_ than half an hour’ she says excitedly.

‘There’s so much to see here and I want to look at _everything_ ’

Ben sighs. ‘Fine. We’re only here once. Go enjoy yourself’

He points to the empty bench he’d left minutes ago. ‘I’ll be right here’

Rey smiles again, practically skipping off to the shops.

His eyebrows raise somewhat when he eyes the store she’s going into - Rey turning to offer him a devious look as she enters.

_Sugar Cookies Lingerie_

The store dummy’s in the window are scantily clad in lacy underwear.

Ben feels a stirring below, imagining exactly what she’s up to in there.

**_Damn girl._ **

He secretly hopes whatever she’s buying is the blackest, briefest, laciest item in the shop – envisioning stripping it off her slow and steady later that night.

Once Rey’s out of sight Ben pulls the magazine from behind his back, crossing his legs in an attempt to hide the growing bulge in his pants.

He opens the cover, running his finger down the index on the inside, promptly flipping to page 52.

He scans the opening paragraph of the article, glancing around behind him to make sure no-one’s watching.

Not that anyone knows him here, but still.

Everyone's busy around him, so he begins reading.

_Even experienced men make rookie mistakes when they have sex with a woman for the first time…_

**_Well, I’m not experienced so…moving on._ **

_And she’s taking mental notes._

**_Shit. Really??_ **

_First-time sex gives her a sense of your generosity and how much you care about her, says sex therapist Sandor Gardos._

**_Well, Sandor, she knows I care about her, but generosity? How do I show THAT with sex?_ **

_Nearly two thirds of the 2,385 women we polled say they consider first-time sex an indicator of a relationship’s potential._

**_No pressure then._ **

_Here’s how to best finesse your first time together._

**_Put in the time – blah, blah, something about dates._ **

**_Dates? I should do that first, yeah?_ **

**_I’ll take her out to dinner. Tonight._ **

**_Next._ **

_Pay lip service: Lots of kissing reassures her that you’re not simply out for sex. Trace her lips with your tongue, and alternate soft kisses with gentle sucking on her lips. Of course this lip service works elsewhere on her body…_

**_Plenty of kissing - got it._ **

_Descend slowly: Spend at least 15 minutes kissing and caressing before moving below. Many women take about 8 minutes to become aroused before they want clitoral stimulation-_

**_8 minutes? Check._ **

Ben tries not to dwell too much on the last part of that sentence, his bulge almost bursting as it is.

 **_-_ ** _so double that and you should have her on the brink._

**_I’ll probably have already come by then, but ok?_ **

_Trace your hand along the outside of her hips, slowly working your way between her legs._

Ben’s on the brink just _reading_ this – he’s panicking he’ll come within ten seconds and ruin the whole thing.

**_Don’t panic._ **

He reads the remainder of the article, focusing on the part about oral sex - they recommend you do that _before_ intercourse, so he stores that away for safe keeping.

**_I wonder what she tastes like?_ **

The articles also mentions positioning, and keeping sex to between 10 and 20 minutes on the first go, although he’s not sure that stuff applies to everyone.

He decides he'll let Rey lead him on those things.

He makes note of the recommendation of cuddling after - _even if it’s just light touching so she knows you still care._

The last part of the article has an interesting note:

_*Always use a condom. No glove, no love!_

**_Condom?_ **

**_No glove, no love?_ **

**_Should I be using gloves for this??_ **

Ben’s a little confused. He hasn’t used gloves since he was Kylo Ren...

He's a little unsure where to find _said_ condoms.

He flicks through the entire magazine, hoping to find answers and sure enough, a full-page colourful ad catches his eye on the back cover of the magazine.

_Trojan Brand Condoms – Pleasure Pack_

It’s an eye-catching box, 4 different varieties inside.

Ben scans the names and is more confused than ever.

Twisted  
**_Is that even safe?_**

Her Pleasure Sensations  
**_Why?_**

Intense  
**_So normal ones are just not?_**

Warming  
**_Gross_**

‘Ben?’

He jumps a mile, all but dropping the magazine to the floor. He hadn’t even noticed her there, completely absorbed in his condom discoveries.

‘What are you reading?’ comes her sweet voice, as he looks up to see more shopping bags in her hands.

He curls the magazine up, doing his best to hide it. ‘Uh, nothing interesting’

**_Liar._ **

**_Only the most interesting thing that’ll ever happen in your life._ **

‘Would you mind keeping these company? There’s _one_ more shop I want to go in’

Ben groans, accepting her bags as she kneels in front of him.

His heart nearly stops and he’s envisioning things he really shouldn’t be - yet.

Her delicate hands are on both his thighs, holding herself steady, the bulge in his pants threatening to burst through.

Except now there’s nothing to hide behind.

She glances downwards. It’s so obvious - as if she wouldn’t notice.

‘Can I see what you were reading?’ she asks, ever so innocently.

Ben relents, pulling the magazine out and handing it to her.

She takes a quick look at the cover, flicking through a few of the pages.

**_Don’t land on page 52. Don’t land on page…_ **

‘Well I hope you don’t think you need to look like any of _these_ guys’ she says, pointing out a buff bodybuilder in the centrefold ‘because your body is _so much better_ than this’

**_Wait, what?_ **

Ben laughs. ‘No. It was more for the articles. Just something to read while you were shopping’

‘Oh’ she says, handing him the magazine. ‘Ok, just _one_ more shop - I’ll try and be quick!’

‘No problem’

She heads off, Ben staying seated until his hard-on subsides.

He grabs her bags from the bench, desperate to stretch his legs. He sets off to wander the nearby shops, heading for the sleepwear store a few shops down.

**_Maybe I should buy something for her?_ **

Ben’s trying to think from Rey’s point of view. He’s always been happy going commando in sleep pants, but he wonders if some new underwear might please her more.

**_If I’m looking forward to stripping her – maybe she’d like to do that to me?_ **

A smart-looking, younger man approaches him as he enters the shop.

‘Can I help you with anything?’

**_I haven’t even had a chance to look yet, so no._ **

‘Uh, I’m fine thanks’ he answers, heading for the men’s section of the store. He scans the underwear, settling on a 3 pack of boyleg briefs in black, red and navy blue.

They even have an opening at the front, so you can whip it out for a quick leak, which he thinks is pretty neat.

Trying on pyjamas in the fitting room, he eyes Rey’s bags on the floor, battling with the voices in his head.

**_Take a peek – you know you want to._ **

**_No, save it for tonight._ **

He settles on the latter, choosing to save that first viewing for when Rey _wants_ him to see it.

Heading to the counter with Rey’s bags and current purchases in hand, he pays and decides his next stop had better be for contraception.

**_Please don’t make me ask anyone._ **

His eyes scan the shop windows until he finds one with a large condom ad in the front window.

Ben sighs, relieved he can just get on with it. He walks the store, glancing at the shelves, until he finds the section he’s looking for.

**_Damn._ **

It couldn’t be just a few boxes, no. Instead it was several shelves and all different types and sizes.

**_Should I know my size already?_ **

Thankfully there’s a size chart above the top shelf.

Ben casts him mind back a few years, cringing when he remembers pulling out a ruler and a tape to measure himself – something he figured every guy had done _at least_ once.

Although it was a few years ago, it was well after puberty so Ben figures he hasn’t grown much in that time.

He chooses based on the measurements he remembers.

He really can’t be bothered looking through the multitude of choices to find a type so he grabs a Trojan pack similar to the one he read about in the magazine, except just standard ones.

He smiles innocently at the younger girl behind the counter, shoving the box into one of Rey’s bags as he exits - finding her already waiting for him.

‘So _now_ who’s waiting, huh?’ she ribs him as he nears.

He can’t help but laugh. ‘Yeah, yeah. I’m sorry’ he says, offering to carry her other bag for her as well.

Instead, she grabs the bag with the condoms in it before he can think of a reason for her not to.

**_She’s gonna find out eventually, stop worrying._ **

They wander to the food court, taking 10 minutes to decide what to eat from the myriad of choices available.

Rey settles on a chicken burger and fries. Ben’s never seen someone devour something that big _quite_ so quickly.

She’s licking her lips and ready for more before he’s even finished his beef souvlaki.

‘That ice-cream looks so delicious’ she says, pointing out the colourful advertisement board. ‘Want some?’

Ben shakes his head, he’s already satisfied. ‘No thanks, but you go’

So, she does, returning with a two-scoop bowl of macadamia and peppermint choc-chip. She takes two bites of the peppermint – Ben watching her every move like a starved man.

Her tongue darts out to lick at the choc-chip in the corner of her mouth – Ben’s pants beginning to tighten under the table, imagining her tongue on him.

‘Mmm’ she moans, and he can’t wait to hear her moaning when they’re alone.

‘You have to try this, Ben’ she says, scooping up a bit and offering the spoon to him.

Ben realises he has two choices – take the spoon from her, or take the spoon in his mouth, with it still in her hands.

He’s no idiot – he goes for option 2, sucking the ice-cream from the spoon in a suggestive manner, Rey’s eyes locked on his.

The flush that flares in her cheeks tells him she’s thinking the same as he is, so he sucks a bit longer just to tease her.

‘Ben, give it back’ she retorts, moving her hand away. He relents, intending to tease her some more before the day is through.

~~~~~~~~~~

  
The afternoon is spent exploring the library, a whole world of knowledge in one, large place.

Rey in lost in the romance section, her legs curled up to her chest as she reads in the chair.

Ben ends up in one of the lounges nearby, his head stuck in a book about machines.

He’s impressed by the amount of vehicles and machines on Earth, wishing he could take books like this back with him.

Rey wanders over with a book in her hand, the cover currently hidden from his sight.

‘Mind if I join you?’ she whispers near his ear.

‘Not at all’. He shifts over as far as he can in the small lounge chair.

It’s a tight squeeze but she manages to fit, throwing her legs gently over his thighs, now slightly sideways.

‘What are you reading, babe?’ He tests the word out, seeing if she picks up on it.

She doesn’t seem to mind, in fact it makes her smile, so that’s what he’ll be calling her from now on.

 _Rey_ seems a bit formal now, for someone he’s intending to sleep with.

She hands him the book and he flips it over, reading the tagline on the back cover.

_‘Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.’_

**_Sounds hot._ **

He smiles back at her. ‘Enjoying it?’

‘Oh Ben, it’s so good, I can’t put it down. I guess there’s no way we can take this with us though, huh?

Ben ponders this for a moment, realising they really can’t borrow books they can’t return.

‘We could check out a bookstore? Maybe you could buy a copy?’

Her eyes go wide at the possibility. ‘I’d love that’

It’s another half an hour before they leave the library, and it’s nearing dinner time.

‘Rey, can I take you on a date?’ he asks as they walk hand in hand across the park.

She stops and turns to him, embracing him in a gigantic hug. ‘Yes please!’

‘Done. Where would you like to go?’

She ponders this for a minute or two. ‘You know that bowling alley we saw yesterday? Let’s go there. I’d love to give it a try’

Of course - she wants to go somewhere fun.

Ben was thinking maybe a nice romantic dinner and dessert, but she’s thinking fun and laughter.

Upon reflection, he likes _her_ idea better.

‘Ok, let’s do it’

The alley is dark, an appropriately large disco ball flashing trippy light onto the floor and their clothes.

The desk has trouble finding shoes big enough for Ben – his size 13 feet looking a lot like clown feet in the crazy shoes they hand out.

Rey enjoys a giggle, but tries not to let Ben notice.

They pay for 3 games, Rey winning the first by a whisker.

Ben narrowly wins game 2 and they agree the winner of the tie-breaker game has to play the skill-testers until they win the other a toy.

Having never played this game before, Ben’s super impressed by Rey’s co-ordination.

She floats the ball down the lane as if it’s something she’s done a million times before.

Ben, however is tall and gangly and tends to throw the ball rather than roll it, causing a loud thud each time it hits the wood.

Rey wins again, so it’s up to Ben to strut his stuff on the skill-testers.

Ben _hates_ to lose – he’s hated it his whole life – but somehow, he doesn’t hate it so much when Rey beats him.

Life’s funny like that.

Two machines down, they move on to the third. Seems every toy is shoved in a suitably annoying position, Ben figures so you don’t actually win any – but he’s determined.

The third machine’s a winner – Ben managing to manouver the claw to pick up a cute teddy bear for Rey.

It’s white, and soft with black beady eyes and a red ribbon tied around its neck.

She smiles, clutching it to her chest. ‘Oh, I love it’ she says, and he can tell it’s genuine.

Next stop at the alley is the gaming area – Rey thrashing him on Daytona USA, Ben repaying the favour on the flight simulator – his pilot training paying off.

Rey chooses hot dogs and fries for dinner and they sit and eat, watching the action in the alley from their elevated stools.

Rey munches on another fry. ‘This has been the most fun thing we’ve done so far. Thank you for bringing me here’

Ben smiles, chewing the last of his hot dog. ‘Well, I couldn’t exactly let you come alone now, could I?’

Rey smiles back. ‘No, I guess not’

She slurps the last of her drink, placing her hand on his knee.

He turns toward her.

Rey leans up to whisper in his ear, her soft voice the only noise he’s paying attention to amongst the crowd.

‘But you know, as much fun as I’m having here…I think we could have more fun on the Falcon…don’t you?’

Ben swallows, heat rising to his cheeks – the pressure to make this the best night of her life suddenly making a swift return.

He doesn’t say anything, gulping the last of his drink, standing with her hand in his.

The sun has long gone, the air cool and crisp on their walk back.

Ben hands Rey his jacket, wrapping his arm around her to make sure she’s warm enough.

Back on the Falcon, Rey grabs her shopping bags and heads for the fresher.

Ben heads to the bathroom, intending to try on a condom before he gets into bed, so he actually looks like he knows what he’s doing.

Even though he doesn’t – even though he’s never done this before.

He feels almost sick with anticipation, sitting on the closest surface to take a deep breath, in an attempt to calm his nerves.

He realises then that Rey has the condoms – in her bag.

The bag she has with her.

It’s not long before he hears her voice as she’s headed back to him. ‘Ben, I’m assuming these are yours?’

**_F***_ **

She’s reading the back of the box as she nears, but Ben couldn’t care less.

Rey’s in a silky black robe, her bare legs on display.

The front is a lower cut and he can see the cradle of her breasts and the skin of her tanned chest.

**_Is she trying to kill me??_ **

Seeing her like this again has him hard in mere seconds. He takes the box from her, doing his best not to stare and make her self-conscious.

‘Uh, yeah. Thanks’

‘Hey, I’ll be out in a few minutes, ok?’ he tells her, holding the box to try and disguise his hard on.

**_Fat chance of that._ **

The box is tiny, his erection is not.

He’s not sure how he’s going to last when the time comes - so afraid of stuffing it up.

‘Ben’ she whispers, breaking his concentration. ‘Are you ok? You look like you’re about to faint’

He decides to be honest with her, to tell her how he’s feeling.

She takes a seat beside him, the bottom of her robe splitting bearing even more skin.

‘I’m-

‘I’m afraid I’m going to ruin this…’ he trails off, looking over at her.

‘What do you mean?’ Her brow crinkles, her pretty eyes staring back at him.

‘I just…I really want this to be good for you and I’m afraid I won’t-

He blows out a breath. ‘I won’t last’

She takes a moment to take in what he’s saying, before her expression softens.

She shuffles closer, taking his hand, raising it to place a kiss on the back.

‘Well, I don’t have any expectations, you know’ she tells him truthfully.

He offers her a smile, feeling better already.

‘I’m not expecting anything - maker, _I_ don’t even know what I’m doing-

‘I just know I want to do this… _with you_ ’

‘Let’s just enjoy it’ she continues, flashing him a wink ‘no matter how long it lasts’

He laughs somewhat nervously, Rey laughing along with him.

That seems to have taken the edge off his nerves, knowing she’s not expecting anything spectacular.

‘Ok. Just give me a minute and I’ll be out’ he tells her, kissing her on the forehead.

She nods, standing to leave.

Ben’s nerves are suddenly somewhere far across the galaxy – now he just _wants  her._

Once she’s out of sight he hides from view, his hard on persisting, for once a good thing.

Ben tears the plastic from the condom box, pulling the top open.

He locates the small, pull-out information brochure inside, placing the box nearby.

He scans past the common-sense information – _Use a new condom each time you have sex, only use a condom once, don’t use one if it’s old or damaged –_ skipping to the part instructing him how to put the damn thing on.

Having never even seen one before, he really has no idea what to expect.

And pulling one from it’s tiny foil packet, he’s surprised by how small it is.

**_Well, that’s not going to be anywhere near big enough!_ **

He glances again at the information leaflet.

**_Oh, it extends. Got it._ **

Step 1 complete.

He’s worried he’s taking far too long already, worrying Rey will come looking and catch him with his pants down.

Quickly dropping his pants and underwear, he palms himself in his hand until he’s hard enough.

Step 2  
If you are not circumcised, pull back the foreskin

**_Can skip that one._ **

He worries what Rey will think of him being circumcised, relaxing when he realises he’ll have a condom on so she probably won’t even know.

Practising steps 3 and 4 twice over, he feels confident enough to do it without reading, trying it a third time, from memory, just to be sure.

There’s 24 in the box so he has a few to spare.

He burns step 5 into his brain for afterwards, hoping he remembers to hold the base when he pulls out – could be messy otherwise.

**_Show time._ **

All this practising has left him with no time to shower, but he figures Rey isn’t going to care about that either.

Ben tops up his cologne, changing into his new briefs and sleep pants, running a hand through his hair in the closest mirror.

He rubs his rough chin briefly pondering a quick shave, before deciding against that too.

**_Quit stalling._ **

Stuffing a row of condoms into the waistband of his briefs, he heads out.

Rey’s already waiting, lying on her back looking sexy as hell.

**_Don’t jump on her, don’t jump on her, don’t jump on her_ **

She looks up with a smile as he approaches the bed, sitting up slightly as he hops in, pulling the covers back up.

Ben lays back, pondering how best to get this started, but Rey’s rolling over to kiss him before he can think on it too much.

Her hands are in his hair, and all over his chest, as she’s peppering his mouth with soft kisses-

Ben’s loving it.

He’s still wrangling his initial hard-on, which he figures won’t bode well if they don’t get the deed done soon.

**_-Spend at least 15 minutes kissing and caressing before moving below-_ **

The words from the magazine make a timely entrance into his mind, as he remembers he needs to make sure she’s properly warmed up or he’ll hurt her.

They continue kissing – Ben deepens the intensity at times, pulling back to drag it out when it gets too much.

Rey’s moaning is driving him crazy – in the best way.

It’s helping relax him, finally.

She’s the first to make a move to strip his clothes, straddling him in a seductive manner, her robe falling open at the front above him.

Ben gets just a peek at her lingerie – it’s lacy just like he’d hoped, but it’s not black.

It’s red.

She notices him staring at her, smiling as they make eye contact.

She reaches down to untie the robe, pulling it off to drop it to the floor.

Ben’s breath hitches – his erection aching at the sight now in front of him.

The lace is almost see-through, save for a band of red ribbon reaching up from the bottom of each cup, meeting another band crossing side to side.

A shiny diamante hangs from the centre band, her amazing lingerie choice complete with matching underwear.

Ben can’t help but stare – the sight of her dark pubic hair visible through the sheer material.

He licks his lips without even realising it.

It’s getting more than a little uncomfortable now, so he lifts her hips slightly, pulling her up to rest over his stomach, giving his erection more room.

He’s aching to set it free, but he’s aware she’s never seen a penis before and he doesn’t want to freak her out with the sheer size of it.

Ben knows he’s bigger than the average guy but there’s not much he can do about that, praying to every maker he knows that he’ll fit when the time comes.

Rey leans down, planting a soft kiss on his lips, his hands roaming the soft skin of her back, tracing fingers along her spine.

She shudders at his touch, whispering in his ear.

‘Ben’ she breathes, sending a delicious chill up his spine. ‘Can I see you?’

**_See you?_ **

**_Oh._ **

She sits up again, her perky breasts bouncing slightly as she settles.

He nods, more nervous at this moment than he’s ever been.

He’s never let any woman see him fully naked, and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t worried about her reaction.

Rey moves slowly down, until she’s resting between his legs. She reaches up to pull down his sleep pants and underwear - in one go.

A condom drops as she does, and she grabs it, placing it on the bed.

Her hears her gasp, instinctively closing his eyes to avoid her reaction.

**_Don’t freak out, don’t freak out._ **

He remembers thinking she wouldn’t notice his circumcision because he’d have a condom on – but he hadn’t counted on being completely bare for her beforehand.

Then he remembers she hasn’t seen an erect penis before at all, so she probably won’t even know the difference.

Her reaction seems to confirm this.

Rey’s mouth is slightly open when he opens his eyes again, her cheeks flushed with a slight blush, her eyes focused on _his hardness_ standing to attention in front of her.

Ben waits for her to say something, but she doesn’t.

She does swallow though, and he can’t hep but picture her perfect lips on him.

She glances up through her pretty, long lashes – Ben thinking she’s asking for permission to touch him.

That’s all he’s ever wanted, for _years_ now, and nervous as he is there’s no way known he’s going to say no.

He nods, reaching down gently to take hold of her hand.

He knows she’s perfectly capable of touching him herself, but it’s somehow more intimate this way.

Ben guides her hand closer, her fingers extending to brush the taught skin near the base.

He’s unable to stop himself flinching when her delicate hand finally connects with his most private place.

Her fingers dance up and down on his stretched skin, her soft touch almost making him come on the spot.

She eyes the pre-come leaking from the tip and she’s obviously done some reading of her own.

Rey works to gather it on her fingers, smoothing it down over him - her hand squeezing a little tighter as she does.

Ben sits up, aching to touch her now, to make sure she’s ready - he’s not sure he can hold out much longer, and he’s not even inside her yet.

His large hands caress her back before settling on the clasp of her bra.

He traces it with his fingers, back and forth, waiting for her to give him the ok.

She blinks and nods, her chest rising and falling in front of him.

He feels his way, unclipping both hooks in record time.

Rey smiles and cocks her head, gives him a surprised look. ‘Are you sure you haven’t done this before?’

Ben laughs, shaking his head. ‘I promise I haven’t’

‘Mmm’ she murmurs, pulling the straps down on either side, the bra falling down between them.

Ben’s sorry to see it go, but he’s not sorry to see her naked chest – her perky breasts on full display.

He’s imagined seeing them so many times that it doesn’t feel real - that she would offer all of herself to him like this.

Ben leans forward without thinking, placing a kiss on the supple skin of her right breast.

She hasn’t made any indication he should stop, so he doesn’t.

Her head falls back as his lips explore her skin with soft kisses.

His tongue darts out, circling the bumpy skin around her nipple, a soft moan falling from her lips.

He sucks it into his mouth, using a soft motion that has her squirming.

‘ _Ben’_

His whispered name from _her_ lips has him right on edge.

Rey grabs his hand while he’s busy with her nipple, guiding in to her underwear.

Ben’s trying his best to concentrate on two different things at once, knowing he can’t afford to pay too much attention to her breasts right now.

If the main event doesn’t happen shortly, it’s going to be over before it’s even begun.

She’s telling him what she wants him to do - so he listens.

He pulls his attention from her chest, pulling back to focus on her hands, guiding him to her core.

She pulls her hand away, watching his every move.

Ben’s index fingers trace either side of her underwear, and he glances up to look at her face. 

Rey  leans slightly back on her heels, allowing him more room to explore.

He accepts her invitation, hooking his finger under the lacy edge – her soft hair making contact with the tip of his finger.

Ben isn’t exactly sure what he expected down there – pubic hair or clean shaven - but he’s not worried either way.

It’s not like _he_ shaved for _her_ , so he can’t be upset with her for not shaving either.

He finds he rather enjoys her soft, dark curls – spending time moving his fingers through them before venturing further down.

Rey’s legs shake slightly as his finger finds her slit.

Ben takes his time, running his finger up and down a few times, surprised by how wet she is already.

He gathers some of that wetness on his finger, spreading it over her pink lips.

He decides they need to change position, so he can see properly.

Ben stops, his hands settling on her hips again.

He lifts her, flipping her over onto her back, settling back between her legs.

He moves to pull her underwear off, hesitating to see if she stops him - but she doesn’t, so he strips her.

She’s completely naked and smiling up at him expectantly.

**_Maker, she's perfect._ **

‘Rey’ he whispers, leaning over her.

He flicks his hair to remove it from his eyes. ‘Are you sure you want to go through with this? It's not too late to change your mind..’

Heat flashes in her eyes and her brow crinkles, before she responds.

‘Ben Solo, if you stop now, _I swear_ …’

He huffs a laugh. ‘Right’

She reaches up to grab his hand again, guiding it back where she needs it to be.

Rey opens her legs slightly and Ben’s thankful he can now see what he’s doing.

And he can see--

_Her._

He decides then to experiment with his finger – his hands are massive compared to Rey’s and he figures if a finger or two can fit, then he’ll be able to.

But he takes his time – holding her left thigh with one hand, gently pressing a finger into her entrance with the other.

Rey gasps as his fingertip pushes against her lips, and he immediately backs off.

She shakes her head, looking panicked.

‘No, no. Don’t stop’

 _‘Please_ ’

He blows out a breath, picking up where he left off.

She opens her legs wider as he pushes slowly in.

It’s the weirdest sensation he’s ever felt - her soft, wet insides tightening around his long finger.

Her body seems to expand to accept him, and he’s grateful.

Rey’s squirming and he’s not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but her eyes are closed and there’s a faint smile on her face, so he keeps going.

He slowly adds another finger, but it seems too much at once, Rey’s eyes flying open at the fullness.

He’s caught – he’s not sure whether to pull out altogether or stay inside her, so he stills – waiting for her to let him know.

**_Ask her._ **

‘Too much?’ he asks, not moving at all.

She seems unsure about her answer.

‘Uh, I…’

She arches her back a little then, and his fingers slip further in.

Ben gulps, not sure what his next move should be.

‘Mmm’ is all she says, but the look on her face now tells him it’s a good feeling she’s experiencing.

He experiments, moving his fingers around inside, her squirming only increasing.

‘Is this ok?’ he asks, hoping with every fibre of his being she says yes.

She nods, opening her legs a little wider - she’s super wet, so he figures it’s now or never.

He withdraws slowly, her wetness coating his fingers.

He’s tempted to lick them, but decides he wants to taste her for the first time properly - later.

Moving to grab the condom from the bed, he wipes his fingers on the sheets, recalling the steps in his head.

He rips open the foil packet, discarding it on the floor.

He steals a glance at Rey and she’s raised up on her elbows, watching his every move.

Ben tries to steady his breathing enough to focus on what he’s doing.

He holds the tip of the condom, rolling it down over his aching length.

He gets it right first go – even with Rey watching intently and biting her lip.

‘Did you practice that?’

Ben laughs, shrugging. ‘Maybe once…’

She raises her eyebrows in disbelief.

‘Ok…maybe twice’

Rey giggles, laying back down, her legs still open for him.

Ben crawls up over her, planting a kiss on her nose. He leans on his forearms, keeping most of his weight off her.

He nuzzles his nose near her ear and she groans as he licks his tongue over her earlobe.

‘Ben, _please’_ she whispers desperately, and he can’t wait any longer.

He grabs himself with his right hand, supporting himself with his left.

He pulls back so her can see her, attempting to line himself up with her entrance, stealing one final glance to see if she changes her mind.

‘Tell me if it hurts, ok? And I’ll stop’

She nods.

He pushes inside just a little, Rey letting her legs fall open. That allows him the room he needs, and he progresses further, his heart pounding in his chest.

There’s slight resistance at first but he perseveres, sure to maintain eye contact.

It’s the most intimate thing he’s ever experienced.

Rey’s mouth drops open a little and she gasps, wrapping her legs around him.

The angle is better and before Ben realises it, he’s fully inside her.

_The two of them joined--_

_\--at last._

Ben stills momentarily, until Rey pulls him down on top of her.

She grabs his face desperately and he braces himself on his hands as they kiss, the added sensation increasing the pressure at the base of his spine.

He pulls out slightly, thrusting back in – the feeling almost more than he can bear.

Rey pulls back from the kiss, a soft moan escaping her lips.

Her moaning increases each time he thrusts.

The noise she’s making, mixed with the tightness he feels each time he moves inside her is simply too much.

Ben grunts, desperate to stop himself coming--

But he can’t.

And he can’t bear to look at Rey, his eyes squinted shut and his head spinning as he experiences the quickest and best orgasm of his life.

And then…

…it’s over.

As he comes down from his high, Ben attempts to catch his breath, sweat dripping from his forehead.

 _‘Ben?_ ’

He hears her sweet voice from below, raising up on his hands, panting and sweaty.

Rey looks completely ravished and Ben’s pretty satisfied with himself, despite not lasting as long as he hoped. 

He can’t help but smile down at her, and she smiles back.

‘Wow’

He’s scared to ask but he does anyway.

‘Wow…good?’

She laughs, nodding enthusiastically, wrapping her arms tight around his neck.

He leans in for a soft kiss.

Ben realises then he needs to pull out, feeling himself soften inside her.

Pulling himself off her, he grips the base of the condom as he withdraws, sitting back on his haunches.

He stands from the bed, pulling it off and disposing of it in the nearest bin.

He doesn’t linger, remembering women like to cuddle after sex.

Hopping back into bed, Rey reaches for him, wrapping her arms around his middle.

He extends an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his chest.

They lay for a few minutes, catching their breath.

‘Was that what you expected?’ she asks, pulling her head back to look up at him.

Ben sighs. ‘Better, Rey. _So much_ better’

She smiles.

That smile could light up the whole galaxy.

‘Mmm’ she replies, snuggling into him once more, her fingers dancing over his chest.

‘Did it feel good for you?’

She doesn’t look at him, but he can feel her head nodding against him.

‘I’ll be back in a minute ok?’ she says, rolling out of bed, grabbing her robe from the floor.

‘Ok’ he mutters, watching her walk to the fresher.

Ben lays on his back, in a state of complete bliss.

He’s remembering how it felt being inside her – like nothing he’d ever felt before, but definitely something he wanted to feel again.

Over, and over.

Rey takes longer than he expected, eventually returning to bed.

She stands there for a moment, waiting for him to glance at her.

When he does, she drops her robe, letting him see her standing naked in front of him.

His eyes roam quickly over her naked form and he wonders how he got so lucky.

She pulls back the covers, cuddling into his chest once again.

‘There was a bit of blood…’

Ben panics, lifting her chin with his hand so he can see her.

‘How much?’

She shakes her head, dispelling his fears. ‘Just spotting. They say that’s pretty normal’

‘As long as you’re ok though?’ he asks, worried he might have hurt her still.

‘I’m fine, Ben’ she responds, rolling into his side.

He wraps his arms around her as tight as he can.

He wishes they could stay this way forever.

‘When can we do it again?’

He’s surprised to hear she wants to go again so soon, but who could blame her?

It was the most amazing experience of _his_ life, so he hoped it was the same for her.

‘I’d love to do it right now…’

‘But you should rest’ he says, softly stoking her hair.

She lets out a murmur, her contentment evident.

‘I love you, Ben Solo’ she whispers as she begins to drift off, still holding him tight.

Ben can’t believe how lucky he is.

‘I love you too, Rey’

It doesn’t take him long to drift off either, Rey’s faint breathing lulling him to sleep.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Rey wakes in the morning to an empty bed.

She rolls over and groans, an uncomfortable feeling from the previous night evident now she’s awake.

Shucking the covers back, she kicks them off with her legs, grabbing her robe from the floor.

She realises then she’d fallen asleep naked—

\--naked, and in Ben’s arms.

_Ben?_

The first place she checks is the Falcon cockpit, and he’s there.

He’s up and dressed – in sleep pants at least.

She immediately misses his naked body from the night before, seeing his large muscled back from behind, his arms outstretched either side to rest on the top of each seat.

She creeps up behind, wrapping her arms around his waist and he jumps slightly at the initial contact.

‘Morning’ he says, turning to look at her. Rey reaches up on her toes to meet his lips, and they kiss.

It’s soft, sweet and a mingle of heat and morning breath, but neither of them care.

Rey breaks the kiss. ‘How long have you been up?’

He pulls her from behind to stand in front of him, running a hand through her chestnut hair. ‘For a little while. Sleep well?’

‘Mmm, I did’ she mutters, burying her head in his chest. ‘You?’

‘The best I ever have…’ he replies truthfully, lifting her chin for another sweet kiss.

The kiss heats up quickly, Rey pulling Ben in front of the pilot’s chair and forcing him down into it, ending up sprawled across his knees.

She grabs his hair in her hands, holding his mouth to his. Ben can barely breathe, but he can think of worse ways to die.

Rey pulls back eventually, giving them both some air, her lips swollen.

She sits back slightly, her eyes glued to his chest, like she’s only just noticed it.

She rubs her hands a few times on her legs to warm them up, before placing both hands gently on his defined pecs, Ben shivering at her touch.

Rey cocks her head, taking in the view. Her fingers work across his skin, her attention turning to his nipples.

She traces both at the same time, her fingers moving in small circles, Ben leaning back in the seat to let her explore at will.

‘Your chest is a sight to behold, Ben Solo’ she purrs, her bare legs visible under her split robe.

‘I can’t believe you kept that hidden for so many years under all those layers’

Ben laughs. ‘Yeah, that would’ve looked good for a Supreme Leader. High-waisted pants and shirtless…

He pauses with a wink. ‘Although, you liked it the first time’

Rey giggles, hugging his neck, a blush creeping up over her cheeks. ‘I really didn’t…’

‘Then why are you blushing?’

‘Ben Solo! Stop teasing me’ she giggles, handing him a soft punch to the ribs.

Ben’s hard – he’s been that way since she sat down – and he wonders if it’s too soon to suggest they have sex again--

Because all this teasing is a major turn on.

He leans up to whisper in her ear. ‘Are you wearing any underwear?’

She pulls away to look him in the eye with a mischievous grin, shaking her head and biting her lip.

‘Well, in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m dying here’ he states, nodding down below.

‘Oh, I noticed…’ She raises her eyebrows as she responds, hopping up to give him room.

Rey extends her hand to him. ‘Let’s go back to bed. I want to have sex again’

Music to his ears.

He doesn’t waste any time standing and hoisting Rey playfully up over his shoulder.

She screams at him all the way back to bed. ‘Ben Solo, put me down!’

So he does - on the bed, crawling over her like a lion who has his prey right where he wants it.

Ben groans remembering the condoms. ‘One sec’

He retrieves one, returning to the bed before too long.

He strips, resting back on his haunches, putting it on like a practiced pro.

Rey looks rather impressed. She hadn’t realised how much of a turn on it was for her, watching him put a condom on.

She crawls closer, kneeling up at full height in front of him, letting her robe fall.

Ben blows out a breath, his hands unable to resist touching her.

They go straight to her hips, pulling her close enough that his lips can make contact with her skin.

He begins with her collarbone, planting soft kisses along it – working his way down her breasts and stomach, desperate to keep going, but he wants to get her permission first.

He plants a final kiss below her belly button, glancing up to gauge her reaction.

Her head has fallen back, her eyes closed, mouth slightly open.

She’s completely naked and vulnerable in front of him and as much as he wants to go down on her, they’ve got plenty of time.

He really doesn’t want to rush anything – he just wants them both to enjoy getting to know one another intimately.

Ben often wondered if he’d _ever_ be this close to a woman, to have a woman actually _want_ him.

No girls at the Jedi temple had paid him much attention, and he figured his emotional state as leader of the First Order didn’t help him catch anyone’s eye either.

But now he is free, finally – able to learn the ways of a woman with the most beautiful woman in the galaxy.

‘Ben?’

‘Mmm?’ he mutters, breathing in the scent of her skin, lost in thought.

‘How long have we got…before…’

Ben notices she’s eyeing his condom-covered penis, probably worried it'll go soft and the moment will be ruined.

He laughs at her cute question, realising she wouldn’t know. ‘We’ve got a few minutes yet, but I’m ready when you are’

‘Ok’ she replies, but she doesn’t move to lie down.

Instead she straddles him.

Ben’s a tad daunted by the fact she’s feeling so bold this far into their relationship.

‘Are you sure you want to do it this way, Rey?’

She nods. ‘I read it can be pretty good and I wanted to try it, but we don’t have to if…’

‘No, no, that’s fine' he says, reassuring her. 'I just wanted to make sure you’re comfortable with it, that’s all…’

‘I’d do it standing on my head if I had to’

Rey laughs. ‘That could be _really_ uncomfortable, let’s not do that’

Ben smiles and then it hits him he’s running out of time.

He palms himself in his hand with Rey watching on.

Rey lifts herself enough for him to line up and he takes that opportunity to check if she’s wet enough.

She definitely is.

‘You need to go slow, ok? Take your time’

She nods, looking down between them.

It’s a joint effort – Ben holding himself, guiding it inside while Rey sinks down, wriggling a little to find the right spot.

Thankfully she _does_ take her time – eventually seating herself.

‘I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that feeling’ she hums. ‘It feels _so good’_

‘You’re in control now, you know…’ he teases, waiting for her to move.

‘Oh’ Ben almost sees the light bulb appear above her head.

It’s like this has only just occurred to her.

‘What should I do?’ she asks, experimentally raising herself up and down again.

‘Just what you’re doing. Whatever feels good’ Ben replies, wrapping his arms around her waist.

‘Mmm’ she murmurs, letting her head fall back. 'It all feels good’

Ben smiles.

He’d never dwelt much on the possible positions, but now he couldn’t help it.

This was a sight he could certainly get used to.

It goes pretty smoothly for their second try, Ben helping Rey orgasm and come this time.

He felt terrible not letting her the first time, so he knows he has some serious making up to do.

Rey looks fully blissed out, but a little embarrassed.

Ben tries his best to reassure her, rubbing her back, whispering sweet nothings in her ear.

~~~~~~~~~~

  
They decide they’ll share one last meal out in the big wide world before they return home.

As much as they’d like to stay forever, they both know they can’t.

They dress, in the same room this time, leaving the mess of the Falcon behind to clean up later.

It’s a crisp fall day, crunchy leaves strewn all over the ground as they walk – the sun gleaming in the sky above.

Rey is sure to look around at everything, desperate not to forget a thing they’ve seen.

Ben spots a quaint little street café in a side street - complete with cute little tables, red and white checked tablecloths and buttery pastries in the window.

The smell alone would draw you in from a mile away.

After a few minutes perusing the menu, Rey decides on waffles with chocolate sauce and berries. Ben settles on a toasted ham/cheese croissant and coffee.

Ben heads into the café to order.

Rey watches him at the counter, waiting patiently.

She’s pretty sure the feeling she feels at that moment is what people call ‘love’.

She’s totally in love with Ben, and she’s excited for their future together - although she’s not sure exactly what it entails.

But whatever it is, they can work it out together.

They spend as long as they can at the table, discussing their earthly adventures and all the things they’ve seen.

‘Best thing you’ve seen while we’ve been here. Go!’ Rey tells Ben, swirling a strawberry in chocolate sauce, before popping it into her mouth.

Ben watches her eat and decides everything she does with her mouth from now on will turn him on, so he may aswell just get used to it.

‘Well’ he starts, leaning across the table, his voice to a whisper ‘…that’s really not something I can say in public’

He sits back with a wink, watching the blush creep across her face.

‘Beennnn’ she groans, turning her head away, her hands rising to cover her face.

Ben laughs. It’s so much fun to tease her and she makes it far too easy.

She composes herself enough to let the blush subside. ‘I mean that’s a given, for both of us I’d say so…apart from that?’

‘The dog’

Rey nods in agreement. ‘Yes! I really want to take one home with us…’

‘Yeah, me too’

Rey sighs, realising that sadly, they can’t.

The sidewalk is brimming with people by the time they finish their meal, and Rey decides she’s ready to go home.

There are a million things they could explore if they had more time, but she’s tempted not to look anymore – so she doesn’t know what she’ll be missing.

Ben pays for their meal and they make a slow walk back to the Falcon.

'Anything else you want to see before we go?' Ben asks, swinging her hand as they go.

‘No. I’ve seen _much_ more than I bargained for’ she replies, winking at him.

‘I’m good’

Ben laughs, knowing exactly what she’s getting at. ‘Yeah, same’

They breath in the fresh air one final time, walking up the ramp to the Falcon.

‘Let’s go home’

As they face the outside world, they share one final kiss on Earth, the door hissing to a close behind them.

Ben fires up the Falcon, back in the pilot seat where he belongs - Rey at his side.

Before they leave he can’t help but tease her one more time.

‘Hey’ he says, leaning over the side of the chair. ‘Our third force-bond, when I was shirtless…did you really want me to put a cowl on?’

Rey laughs.

‘Well, now that you ask’ she replies, leaning over to close the gap between them. ‘No, I didn’t. But you were really intimidating, so I had to say _something_ ’

She pauses, watching his faint smile appear.

‘But you know what? I’m not intimidated anymore…in case you hadn’t noticed’

‘Mmm, I noticed’ he says, planting a kiss on her soft lips. ‘And for the record, I like it better this way’

‘ _Big softie’_ she mutters under her breath.

‘Hmm?’

Rey stifles a giggle. ‘Nothing’

She reaches for his hand and they prepare to leave.

‘Take me home, Ben’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well my friends, this is it!  
> Thank you SO much to everyone who's been reading along, and to everyone who will finally start it now it's finished :)  
> I love you all and I hope you've enjoyed this journey as much as I (sometimes) have!!  
> xxx

**Author's Note:**

> A cute little fic idea I borrowed from Twitter user, Miriam - with her permission, of course!  
> Sorry it took a bit longer to put up than originally anticipated- I change things a hundred times first *lol* Can't help it!!  
> Comments more than welcome :)  
> Rating may change as we go along!  
> Gem x


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